


To Love Again

by SinnySkelle



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Alcohol and bad Decisikons, Anxiety, Bad Puns, Bondage, Depression, Don't ask why a state university has uniforms, Dorm Apartments, Ecto-Penis, Ecto-Tongue, Ecto-Vagina, Fluff, Fontcest, Hurt/Comfort, Light BDSM, M/M, Masturbation, Oral Sex, Popularity Clicks, School Uniforms, Semi-Public Sex, Skull Fucking, Slow Burn, Soulsex, Suicidal Thoughts, Teacher Kink, commitment issues, school au, school stress
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-21
Updated: 2018-07-10
Packaged: 2018-07-16 08:58:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 220,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7261132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SinnySkelle/pseuds/SinnySkelle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sans, Red, and Rus all go to the prestigious Monster State University where they befriend each other through their shared love for science. There, the three skeletons each meet a new monster that changes their lives forever- for better, or for worse. Sans, Red, and Rus struggle to overcome their past and their baggage as their present stares them in the face.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. New Semester

**Author's Note:**

> Tips:  
> UT Sans = Sans  
> UT Papyrus = Papyrus  
> UF Sans = Red  
> UF Papyrus = Fell (or Boss)  
> US Sans = Blue (or Blueberry)  
> US Papyrus = Rus

The sound of a bunsen burner igniting filled the still air of the empty lab room, filling the void with a soft hiss before the flame was tapered off to a controlled level and a large beaker was placed on top the metal mesh plate. Sans smirked as he watched the experiment begin to boil, his focus zoned in on his task, his blue headphones blasting music to keep the outside world away. Bobbing his head to the beat of the music he checked the temperature to make sure all variables were going according to the experiment.

  
*BANG*

  
The small skeleton jumped, knocking his headphones off to hang around his neck as he looked up towards the towering figure that had just dropped their book bag on the table. “Stars Rus, you scared the crap out of me.” Sans rubbed his sternum as he pulled his phone out to check the time.

  
1:30pm

  
It was about time his friends would all meet up at the unused lab for lunch.

  
“Heh, sorry didn’t mean to rattle your bones.” Rus chuckled as he promptly sat down, crossing his feet atop the table. The tall skeleton’s whole person seemed to ooze chill. Rus didn’t bother with the school dress code. He wore snug fitting black jeans with a pair of scuffed converses. He figured at a distance the black jeans would look like the school's regulated black slacks. Buy hey, at least he wore an orange sweater with the school's logo: MSU (Monster State University). Rus pulled out a bag of Funyuns, undoubtedly the only thing he packed for lunch, but before he could get a chip in his mouth he looked around the room with a raised brow bone. “Where’s Red? Isn’t he normally in here first?”

  
Right as Sans was about to comment they heard the door to the lab fling open and in walked was a disheveled looking Red. His uniform cream colored sweater vest and white short-sleeve button up shirt both looked wrinkled like they hadn’t been hung up or steamed in a week. His uniform tie hung loosely outside his sweater vest, crumpled and twisted. His clothes were tucked into his black slacks which luckily weren’t as wrinkled as the rest of his clothes. Red always wore their uniform to code, so to see him in such a state had the other two skeletons worried. 

  
“Uh… Red? You okay?” Sans asked hesitantly while sharing a worried look with Rus.

  
“Just peachy.” Red sat down next to Rus and quickly opened his laptop as if he was suddenly interested in studying. Red had hoped the top of his laptop would hide the dark bruise that was forming under his left eye socket.

   
The mark did not go unnoticed. 

  
“You know,” began Rus. “Sans and I were planning on going out tonight, you know to celebrate the new semester. You want to come? Obviously you could crash at our place.” Rus tried to keep his voice relaxed as he gave a knowing look to Sans, the smaller skeleton nodded.

  
“Yeah, come with us. You know the three of us are bone to be wild.” Sans winked at Red, hoping he would accept their invitation. Both Sans and Rus knew Red’s roommate was for lack of a better word, an ass hole. He was going to the university on a football scholarship, so the guy was pretty much untouchable. They had gone through the proper chain of authority trying to report Red’s roommate for his past outbursts, but the school was protecting their star player. There was nothing they could do. It wasn’t uncommon for Red to sport several bruises, or on that one rare occasion a broken arm. If they could, Sans and Rus would have Red move in with them, but dorm room assignments kept Red from staying over at their dorm longer than a few nights.

  
Sans and Rus were lucky they were assigned as each other’s roommates. They got along well and became fast friends. They both loved science and actively pursued a degree in the subject they loved, which was how they met Red. The 3 of them were like the nerdy Three Musketeers. 

  
Red stopped his fake studying to consider their offer. Why the fuck not? A night out sounds like it would be exactly what he needed. He had studied hard, he dealt with the biggest douche on campus as his roommate, and if his anxiety flared up he knew his friends would be cool with leaving early. They were always conscious of Red’s feelings. He smiled at the thought. “You know what, sounds fan-fucking-tastic. I’m in!”

  
“That’s the spirit!” Rus raised a Funyuns chip to toast to the occasion.

  
“Glad to have you aboard, pal.” Sans used some tongs to take the beaker off the Bunsen burner and placed the container in-between him and Red. Sans handed Red a pair of chopsticks and proceeded to delve into his experiment: expertly cooked top ramen.

  
Red chuckled and pushed his laptop aside to share in Sans lunch. He could always count on his friends to be there for him, even when the world seemed to be caving in.

  
Red slurped on his noodles as he recalled the first time he met the other skeletons.

  
_“Okay class! For this experiment we will be breaking off into teams of three. Since it’s your first year I don’t want anyone burning down my lab, so you know… use caution.” The professor began writing the formula for their experiment they will be conducting on the whiteboard._

_  
Heat = Mass x Specific heat x Temperature Change_

_  
“First team to calculate their secret items calories will win… nothing. You get nothing. This is college, get used to disappointment.”_

_  
As students shoved pass Red to team up with friends and acquaintances, Red could only stand awkwardly in the back of the room clutching his overpriced text book and notebook to his chest. Oh no. Everyone had their groups. Red was the odd man out. Quiet settled onto the class as students began to work. Red was still standing in the back. His breaths became shorter as he scanned the room for any spare seat. His phalanges began to shake. His voice didn’t work, so speaking up about the odd number of teams was out of the question. His anxiety sky rocketed. Should he ask the professor for an extra seat, should he sit on the floor, should he just leave?_

_  
“Hey. Why don’t you come sit with us?”_

_  
Red’s pupils returned in his sockets – when had they gone out? He focused on the small almost identical looking skeleton in front of him. How did he not notice him walk up? Red observed the skeleton's relaxed posture. His look-alike wore the schools uniform cream sweater vest and white short-sleeved button down shirt, but he wasn’t wearing the regulated uniform tie, or slacks. His top was untucked and hung over a pair of regular blue jeans and sneakers._

_  
“Buddy?” His look-alike raised a brow bone and Red suddenly realized he had been standing there staring at the monster for stars knows how long._

_  
“Uh y-yeah, t-thank you.” Red managed to stammer out before being led to a table in the middle of class where a taller skeleton in an orange school hoodie waved lazily._

_  
Once Red sat down all three of them began to work on the experiment._

_  
It was like the three of them were in perfect sync; handing each other equipment wordlessly, inputting the data into the formula, they easily finished their experiment first._

_  
While the rest of the class continued to catch up, the tall skeleton spoke up._

_  
“You’ve got a knack for this. What’s your name little man?” The hoodie wearing skeleton stuck a toothpick in his mouth and began to chew, an obvious crutch for someone with a cigarette addiction._

_  
“Red.” The small skeleton’s cheek bones dusted light crimson with embarrassment at the concept of actually socializing with others._

_  
“Nice to meet you Red. I’m Rus. This here is Sans.” Sans gave a wide grin while raising his hand in a half wave. “So, you’re a skeleton monster too, and you like science…”_

_  
Rus put a gentle bonny hand on Red’s shoulder and could feel his worries melt away. These two were putting forth the effort to get to know him, to become acquaintances. Would he dare say… even friends?_  

  
After that, the rest was history. Red knew that even though they were all skeleton monsters, each of them had their own different personality that brought something special to their friendship.

  
Sans was a social butterfly (in the nerd community) that loved to play jokes and pretend like he never cared. Red was the nervous wreck that tried to act tough, but that usually got him into trouble. And Rus was the lazy relaxed one that kept the calm during their shenanigans. 

  
“So what did you guys pick for your electives?” Sans blurted out in an attempt to liven up the lunch.

  
Red choked on his ramen upon hearing the question. He began coughing and patting his sternum to help his food go down to his non-existent stomach. This was a subject he was hoping to avoid.

 

“I decided I’d dabble in psychology.” Rus tilted the empty Funyuns bag back, catching the remaining crumbs. 

 

Both Sans and Red gave an inquisitive look. “Really? You Rus? Psychology?” Sans questioned with disbelief. 

 

“Well I figure how hard can it be? Every monster and their mother takes the class, and other electives like art or workshop actually require you to make something. This will be an easy A.” Rus crumpled up the used chip bag and tossed it at the trashcan, missing by a long shot. The skeleton simply shrugged pulling out a toothpick and began to play with the stick in his mouth. 

 

“Huh, well if you put it like that.” Sans tapped on the rim of the beaker with his chops sticks, wondering if he should have gone with a less strenuous elective like his friend.

  
“What about you?” Rus questioned while leaning further back in his chair, his arms crossing behind his head. 

  
“Culinary.” Sans grin widened at Rus, knowing what his reaction would be.

  
“Ppft! No way, you can’t cook!” Rus held his ribs letting out a loud laugh.

  
“That’s exactly why I’m taking it! Maybe I’ll learn a thing or two. If not, then at least I get free food out of it.” Sans lounged across the lab table letting his hearty meal of top ramen settle, he could feel the food turning to magic and fueling his energy.

  
“Don’t listen to him Sans, you make an amazing ketchup bisque.” Red joined in with Rus’ laughter. Sans and Rus’ place had a decent sized fridge, but it mostly consisted of ketchup and honey bottles. With a mustard bottle or two for the rare occasions they could sneak Red into their housing for the night. Neither of the three would be considered culinary masters.

  
“Jeeze Red, didn’t know you were such a humorous guy. What’s your elective then?” Sans raised both his brow bones in interest. Even Rus stopped laughing and leaned in closer to hear Red’s response. 

  
“Uh me? W-well I just took some d-dumb class that d-double dips on required courses. N-nothing special.” Red’s cheeks began to burn, making his lie that much more obvious.

  
Sans and Rus shared a knowing look and both began to smirk.

 

Red began to sweat knowing damn well that his friends were not going to let the subject drop. He had only one option left.

Abort.

  
“Hey would you look at the time? I g-gotta go. Studying and books and tests and what not.” Red quickly gathered his laptop and book bag and booked it out of the lab before the others had a chance to push the subject. 

 

________________________________

 

Red entered the literature building and looked out at the beautiful built in courtyard inside the building. Literature was part of the arts, arts was pretty and prissy and nothing like science. Red just knew the others would make fun of him if they knew he was studying literature not only as an elective, but as a minor. 

  
Red knew he was a walking paradox. He looked gruff with his red magic, pointed teeth and golden canine tooth. His bones were riddled with nicks and scars. Living a tough life would do that to you, and his roommate didn’t help any. Even with his rough exterior and tough guy attitude, Red loved literature. Sure he loved science too, but nothing could beat those moments when Red could escape to a world that wasn’t his own. A world where adventure awaited, the protagonist achieved something worth wile, and they always got their happy ending. 

  
It was everything Red wanted in life, but couldn’t have. 

  
Instead he was constantly reminded of how much of a fuck up he was. How useless he was to the world. How his existence didn’t mean anything. Being an orphaned skeleton monster, Red was tossed around from home to home. Most of his 'families' treated him like garbage. Using him as both an emotional and physical punching bag. But who had time to check up on a single skeleton who was lost in the system? Red learned early on to build a tough exterior, but it didn't help the raging emotions that plagued his head.

  
Sure he had Sans and Rus, but a lifetime of depression and anxiety doesn’t change overnight. He knew his friends tried their best with him, but sometimes he just couldn’t push the suffocating dark cloud away. There were moments when Red would zone out and wonder if it all was worth it? If he killed himself would he wake up with a new life and start over? Or would he be forever trapped in the void of darkness that is the afterlife?

  
Stealing himself from his worries and dark thoughts Red took a deep breath. Even if he didn’t belong here among the artistic, beautiful people, he could still take comfort in the books.  

  
With his new found determination Red proceeded into the building in search of his class. 

  
He stopped in front of a room labeled 302. It was on the second floor and just like all the rooms it faced the indoor courtyard. Red drew up his courage and opened the door, stepping into his literature class.

  
The class was set up like a miniature lecture hall. Instead of individual seats there were long rows of tables with benches. The seats went up about four rows with two columns. Red was grateful for this, with bench seating he could scoot far enough away from anyone sitting next to him. He wasn’t planted in one spot.

   
Red took a seat towards the middle isle on the second row. There. Not too close to the professor, not all the way back either. 

  
As the time drew closer to class, the room began to fill up with students. Most of them immediately found their friends and began chatting away. 

  
Red was prepared this time. He had a full proof plan for why he was all alone. He pulled out his copy of Pride and Prejudice. It was their homework, the first of many books they were supposed to read. Red was thankful for the class. It gave him an excuse to read the book. Granted he had already read it on his own at least 6 times by now, but no one needed to know that.

   
The door opened and an immediate hush fell over the class. Students began to shush one another as whispers ensued. A tall figure made its way across the class to the podium in the middle. Red was too engrossed in his book to notice.

   
“Good afternoon. I will be your lit teacher this semester. You can call me Professor Fell.”

  
Red looked up from his book and instantly his sockets widened. 

  
Standing in front of the class was a rather tall, handsome skeleton monster. His facial structure looked sharp and menacing. His eyes were crimson like Red’s, his teeth looked chiseled to a point, also much like Red. The only difference being this skeleton monster sported a rather long, thin scar across his right eye socket. He wasn’t a prissy monster, he was gruff, just like Red.

  
Someone, just like Red.

 

Red’s mouth fell agape as he looked over his professor. Everything about him screamed bad ass. All he needed was a spiked leather jacket. Instead the professor wore a black soft looking turtleneck with the sleeves rolled up and tight black leather pants. Those weren’t appropriate school code pants! Red could feel his cheek bones flushing bright red.

 

As if on cue Fell turned his gaze directly towards Red. He readjusted his thin glasses and gave a small smirk upon spotting the nervous skeleton. 

 

“I hope you have all done your required reading, because we are jumping right in today. You don’t need a whole day going over the Syllabus.” Fells stated sharply, his eyes lingering on Red for a while longer before he turned and began writing on the black board. Red couldn’t help but watch the way his professor’s hips swayed in those tight black pants.

 

_**‘Sweet mustard this is going to be a long semester.’** _


	2. Out of The Ordinary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I use music as a key component for this fic.  
> All songs will be posted so you can listen along with the characters.
> 
> Sans Playlist:  
> Foster The people - Don't Stop (The Fat Rat Remix)  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHiovIidNas

Sans sighed as he mulled over any explanations he could come up with as to why Red had run off so fast. It was obvious their friend was nervous about something, but Red knew that he and Rus would never judge their friend, right? Either way Sans and Rus had agreed not to pressure Red into telling them. That was probably the worst thing they could do when dealing with Red. They hadn’t known the skeleton long, but they knew him long enough to know when their pall needed space. Red would come to them when he was ready, and when that time came they would be there for him ready to listen.

 

With lunch finished and his elective class up next, Sans slid his blue headphones back onto his skull. He said his goodbye to Rus letting him know that they would all meet up at their usual hangout venue after class to celebrate the new semester. As Sans wondered down the campus he pulled out his phone and opened his music library, his boney finger tapping the play button. He turned up the volume and let the world drown away to the music.

 

[ Walk little walk

Small talk big thoughts

Gonna tell them all just what I want ]

 

Sans made his way across campus headed towards the arts center which was on the east side of the campus. Most of the arts buildings were gathered in the arts center; programs ranging from music, dance, photography, theater, to literature. It was a nice gesture on the school's part to try and keep similar majors together.

 

[ That street two streets I see you and me

Hanging on the empty swings ]

 

It was like night and day compared to the science buildings. The walls were littered with alumni original art pieces and students lounged under sculptures that functioned both as works of art and pieces of furniture. Sans couldn’t help but admire some of the artwork. This school had some obvious talent.

 

[ ‘Count high low don’t worry my eyes are closed

I’m a superman and it’s my show ]

 

Mid stride, Sans paused when a couple making out under a tree caught his eye. Standing in the middle of the walkway Sans couldn’t help but stare as something about the scene before him sent a ping of pain through his soul. The two were so passionate with each other, neither one caring that they were out in the open, boasting their affection for all to see. Their bodies pressed close, each of them holding onto the other as if clinging to life.

 

Sans eyes lost focus as his sockets went black.

 

_“Stop… Ah- It’s too much!” Sans panted, face flushed blue as his naked body rocked back and forth against the desk. The body towering over him just barely hilted into his tight conjured entrance._

 

_“Do not worry. I will never hurt you, Sans…” A cold, gentle hand caressed the side of his skull and all Sans could do was close his eyes as he felt his soul swell at those words. His own hand rose to cradle the one caressing his head. A spark jolted through his body at the contact._

 

_“P-please… move. Please fuck me!” Sans bucked against the throbbing member inside him, willing himself to loosen up._

 

_The person above him grunted at the movement, their restraints wavering. “Sans…” The hot breath and deep voice next to Sans skull sent chills down his spine._

 

_Swift deep thrusts rocked Sans body harder against the desk, the wood scraping across the floor in protest. Sans clung to the body above him as warmth pooled to his pelvis and waves of pleasure radiated across every bone._

 

_Slick noises along with heavy panting and soft moans accompanied the rhythmic scraping of the wood, filling the walls of the empty class room._

 

_The thrusts began to speed up to desperate poundings and Sans could feel himself coming undone. He was so close._

 

_He held on for dear life, his head rolling back as he screamed his climax coming in waves as spurt after spurt of cum shot up coating his ribs in its blue glow. His body tingled all over. Tears pooled at the corners of his sockets as he pulled his lover closer, feeling his entrance fill with the others own hot cum._

 

_Sans panted hard trying to catch his breath. His mouth was open but his voice wouldn’t work, so instead he clung to the body tighter, willing his soul to convey his feelings for him._

  

[ One shoe two gonna kick with my new shoes

I’m going to kick until I need new shoes ]

 

The sound of the music from Sans headphones drew him back to reality and his pupils returned.

 

Sans watched as the boyfriend of the couple broke for air long enough to stare lovingly into his girlfriend’s eyes, stroking the back of his hand across her cheek. The girlfriend giggled shyly avoiding eye contact, but opted to hold her boyfriend’s free hand with hers.

 

[ I said don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop  
Talking to me  
Don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop  
Giving me things  
Don’t stop don’t stop, don’t stop  
Laughing about it  
Don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop ]

 

Sans rolled his pupils in his eyes sockets and readjusted the strap to his messenger bag, moving past the public display of affection and passing the literature building towards the culinary building located right next door.

 

[ I said don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop  
Talking to me  
Don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop  
Giving me things  
Don’t stop don’t stop, don’t stop  
Laughing about it  
Don’t stop don’t stop don’t stop ]

 

______________________________________

 

Once inside, Sans turned off his music and removed his blue headphones as he looked around the class. The room was huge but looked to be sectioned off in two parts. The right side of the room held rows of school tables that faced a simple white board, while the left of the room was lined with 10 miniature kitchen sets.

 

Sans’ pupils scanned the right side of the room and spotted a pleasant surprise. Sitting towards the middle of the class was Asriel and Frisk, both engrossed in what seemed to be an interesting conversation. Sans smiled and plopped down at the table in front of theirs. Since the tables could only seat 2 people per desk, Sans decided he could at least be close to his friends if not sitting next to them.

 

The sound of another person sitting in front of them caught their attention and Frisk was first to react. “Sans!” The human girl smiled and stretched their fist for Sans to bump it.

 

“Hey there kiddo.” Sans bumped Frisk’s fist before giving a curt nod towards Asriel.

 

Asriel only nodded back. It didn’t bother Sans any.

 

There had always been a bit of tension between the two monsters ever since they first met.

 

During freshman orientation Asriel had been walking around the large auditorium socializing with all sorts of monsters. Being the son of the dean meant he was at the top of the popularity list. Everyone was either his friend or was sucking up to him in order to get in good with the dean. Everything seemed relax and friendly until a human girl walked by- that’s when Asriel locked eyes onto Frisk.

 

It was crush at first sight.

 

The human girl didn’t seem all that special with her short brown hair and blue eyes. Her curvy figure filled out the school uniform sweater vest and skirt nicely, but other than that there was nothing extraordinary about her.

 

Asriel wanted to go up and talk to her right then and there. Hell she wasn’t even hanging around with anyone. She was standing alone. Sudden nerves struck Asriel and he became too shy to go up to the human.

 

Frisk seemed a little nervous. Not many humans went to MSU so it was safe to say Frisk was a fish out of water among the monsters.

 

Sans, who had just finished a pun war with Rus, noticed the lone human standing awkwardly by themselves. Always having a soft heart for the lonely and awkward, Sans made his way over to the girl. He introduced himself, told a few jokes, and in no time flat Frisk was smiling and opening up.

 

Asriel watched as his crush giggled with the small skeleton monster.

 

Instant jealousy.

 

Of course with time Asriel was able to approach Frisk himself and establish a friendship. Due to his friendship with Frisk, he was forced to interact with Sans. After a few interactions with the skeleton monster Asriel quickly learned that Sans wasn’t flirting with Frisk like he initially thought, he just liked to tell jokes.

 

A lot of jokes.

 

All the time.

 

So . Many . Puns .

 

Even after all misunderstandings were cleared up, Asriel never seemed to warm up to the skeleton, or any of his friends for that matter. It seemed there would always be that subconscious air of tension between Asriel and any skeleton monster he met.

 

“What are you doing here Sans? I didn’t know you liked to cook.” Frisk questioned while leaning further onto the table in order to include Sans in her and Asriel’s little circle.

 

“You kidding? I love food.” Sans grinned and pulled a ketchup packet from his pocket as if to emphasis his point.

 

Frisk giggled at Sans love for the condiment and Asriel made a disgusted face.

 

Sans shrugged and sipped up the contents of the packet.

 

The three of them continued in idle chit chat as the class began to fill up with more and more students. The room became loud with multiple conversations from the different tables. Students found their friends to pair off with. Larger groups took up multiple tables, even taking it upon themselves to move the tables together to form large clusters.

 

“Ey guys! No way, you’re in this class too?!” A rather loud female sitting at one of the larger table clusters in the back stood and waved towards the entrance.

 

Sans turned towards the door to see who was getting such the boisterous greeting.

 

In walked 3 monsters: One dog monster, one dragon monster, and one skeleton monster. Sans looked them over, his pupils focusing on the tall skeleton monster in particular. All three of them were wearing letterman jackets with casual jeans and sneakers. They were obviously a part of the football team, but they looked too young to be a part of the normal line up. Freshmen most likely. But something about the lengthy skeleton monster seemed off which made him stand out from his two other football companions.

 

The three jocks traveled further into the class and greeted the group in the back- they all seemed hyper and loud. Nothing unusual there. Sans kept his gaze on the other skeleton monster. While he did seem very animated with his friends, he wasn’t jostling the others around, or giving nuggies, or immediately hitting on the female members of the group. He stood at a respectable distance only chiming in with a few comments here and there.

 

Sans eye sockets stayed glued to the jock skeleton watching him interact with the others. It wasn’t often Sans met another skeleton monster. The only ones he knew about were some professors, Rus, and Red. In fact, this newcomer looked just like Rus. If Rus was peppy and strung out on caffeine.

 

The jock skeleton monster took a pause from his laughter and conversation as he turned his head towards Sans.

 

Their gazes met and the tall skeleton monster slightly cocked his head to the side while staring back at Sans.

 

**_‘Shit shit shit shit! He saw me!’_ **

 

Sans coughed awkwardly and gave a quick wave to the jock skeleton before turning his attention back to Frisk and Asriel. That was a close call. Nice save brushing the staring off like that.

 

“So how have your science classes been?” Knowing Asriel wasn’t going to contribute to the conversation with Sans, Frisk tried to keep the relaxed chatter going.

 

“You know Frisk, organic chemistry is difficult. Those who study it have alkynes of trouble.” Sans’ grin widened.

 

Frisk held her sides as she giggled at Sans pun. “Sans! Organic chemistry isn’t even your major! You’re really stretching it with these jokes.”

 

Right as Sans was about to bombard the two with more puns, a backpack was placed on Sans table next to him.

 

Sans looked up and his sockets widened as he was met with a friendly smile and wave from the jock skeleton he was just watching moments ago.

 

“HELLO THERE FELLOW SKELETON MONSTER! I AM THE GRAT PAPYRUS!" He struck what looked like to be a heroic pose, "I SEE THAT NO ONE ELSE IS OCCUPYING THIS SEAT. MAY I SIT WITH YOU?” His stance changed from the heroic pose to a confident one with his hands on his hips.

 

Sans wasn’t sure what to say, his mouth was frozen open mid pun. A jock wanted to sit with him? Those guys never spoke with anyone outside their popularity circles.

 

The silence among the small group was defining. “IT IS MY FIRST YEAR HERE AND I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO MEET NEW PEOPLE AND MAKE AS MANY FRIENDS AS POSSIBLE!” Papyrus started off tall and confident but as Sans made no response he began to wring his hands together nervously.

 

Sans brain finally came back online as he saw the taller skeleton began to fidget with his hands. “Uh yeah, sure. Have a seat.” He moved his messenger bag closer to his side of the table in order to make room for Papyrus.

 

Both Asriel and Frisk shared a shocked and confused look.

 

The other skeleton beamed and sat down. He took his notebook out of his bag and set it in front of him, ever ready to begin learning.

 

Sans turned around and mouthed ‘what the hell?’ to Asriel and Frisk. The two shook their head and shrugged, not sure what exactly just happened either. Sans then chanced a glance back towards the group in the back where Papyrus’ other friends were and noticed the group giving Sans looks that ranged from confusion to anger. Oh boy, this isn’t going to be good.

 

“Good afternoon class!” Just then the professor walked in and greeted the class. He began his first day introduction, passing out the syllabus for the semester and going over safety procedures for the class.

 

Sans slouched over the table resting his cheek on his hand and watched the professor with half lidded sockets. Did they really need this extensive of safety training? Was going over the appropriate way to handle a stove necessary? Sans glanced over at Papyrus and noticed he seemed engrossed in the safety lecture and had taken extensive notes. Sans brow bone raised. A jock that was a good student. Now he had seen everything.

 

Sans couldn’t help but let his pupils wonder over Papyrus’ body. He was tall, lean, and from what he could see of his bones they looked strong yet elegant. He guessed that was a given. Papyrus had to be strong if he was an athlete. His posture was straight and attentive. His person let off an excited, bright aura that Sans couldn’t deny was slightly contagious. Just sitting next to the guy made him feel a little bit brighter.

 

What was this guy's deal? Why did he want to sit with him? They hadn’t conversed much, but from what Sans had observed Papyrus didn’t seem like he was messing with him. If he was, even his other jock friends weren’t in on it. But something in the back of Sans mind assured him that Papyrus seemed too sincere to try anything mean or devious. Maybe he really did just want to make friends.

 

The class passed by uneventful and fairly quickly. Their homework was to study the proper procedures for preparing soup. Sans surmounted that they wouldn’t be doing any serious cooking for a while. If the syllabus hinted at anything is was that they would be progressing very slowly.

 

“Hey, you and the others going to Grilbz tonight?” Frisk questioned Sans as everyone began packing their bags up, ready to head off.

 

“Yeah, we’re heading there tonight to celebrate the new semester. You guys going?” Sans placed his messenger bag over his shoulder and pulled out his phone to check his text messages. 2 from Rus and 1 from Red.

 

“Yeah we’ll be there.”

 

“WHAT IS GRILBZ?” Papyrus broke in the conversation.

 

“It’s a local club. Everyone from MSU goes there.” Sans looked up from his phone at Papyrus and almost dropped the device.

 

Papyrus’ eyes looked like they were sparkling. His hands were in fists held against his chest as if it was the only thing keeping his body from vibrating. “IS IT FUN? WHAT IS IT LIKE?”

 

A small blue blush grew on Sans cheeks. **_‘Stars how is this guy so cute?’_** He coughed nervously and rubbed the back of his skull. “Uh… W-why don’t you see for yourself? Come meet up with us there, we’re heading over at 9:00pm.”

 

Papyrus’ hands flew to cup his cheeks and something sounding of a squeak left his mouth. “REALLY? WOWWIE! THE GREAT PAPYRUS WILL SURELY BE THERE! I SHALL NOT DISAPOINT MY NEW FRIEND… UM… I DON’T BELIEVE I EVER CAUGHT YOUR NAME.”

 

“The name’s Sans.” Sans held his hand out in a polite gesture.

 

“IT IS A PLEASURE TO OFFICIALLY MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE, SANS!” Papyrus reached out and shook Sans' hand. As soon as their phalanges touched a spark of blue and orange magic arced between their bones. Sans flinched but didn’t pull away. The sensation between their hands was… warm, calming. Sans could feel his soul pounding harder in response and he was sure his blush was burning darker blue at this point. He looked up not sure what to expect. What he didn’t expect to see was Papyrus staring straight at Sans, his normal bubbly personality muted as a light dusting of orange was spread across his cheek bones. The two stood in a calm silence.

 

“Yo Papyrus, let’s go!” The two jocks Papyrus had walked in with earlier were standing impatiently at the door. They gestured with their hands for their friend to hurry up.

 

“COMING!” Papyrus let go and Sans soul immediately pulsed in protest at the loss of contact. “I’LL SEE YOU AT 9PM?” The question had a hint of something that Sans couldn’t exactly place. Insecurity? Hope?

 

“See you at 9.” Sans affirmed and watched as Papyrus smiled while he threw his backpack over his shoulder and ran to catch up with his friends. The dog monster placed an arm around Papyrus’ shoulder and lead him out of the class. And just like that they were gone.

 

“Did you just invite a jock to hang with us?” Asriel spoke out with as much shock as Sans felt.

 

“Yeah I think I just did…” Sans was still in a daze. His hand closed and flexed at his side, still feeling the sensations from earlier.

 

**_‘What was that…?’_ **


	3. Taking The Challenge

Rus let out a long yawn as he lounged across the table in his psychology class. This was the last class of the day and he was eager to get going so he could meet up with the others at Grilbz. Things had been way too boring for his liking lately and he needed something, or someone to shake things up. Sure he was a lazy guy and preferred a calm lifestyle, but if he was honest with himself there really wasn’t anything eventful going on in his life. This actually bugged him for once. He had been complacent with his mundane life, never really complaining, never really looking for anything more. This was partially because he didn’t care for drama, and partly because deep down he was always conscious about his relationships with others. Making sure he never got too close.

 

Rus had his fair share of relationships in the past and all of them went down the shitter, to put it eloquently. He learned early on that people were controlled by their basic instincts. Things like love didn’t really exist. Scientifically it could all be explained by endorphins causing excess amounts of dopamine in the brain for a short period of time; normally during, or leading up to sex. Making people believe they were ‘in love’, when in reality they were just caught up in the heat of the moment. The second those chemicals died down people would look for the next person to get their high from. This usually resulted in cheating. A lot of cheating.

 

This caused Rus to stop caring about relationships. If all relationships are just two people faking affection and loyalty in order to get the physical release that they wanted, then why not skip all the bull shit and just get to the sex? Rus adopted this kind of mentality and the short time he had been attending MSU, this kind of lifestyle had created a name for him. To put it bluntly, Rus was known as a man whore. Or in his case a skeleton whore. It didn’t bother him any. There was always a monster or human intrigued by the exotic idea of fucking a skeleton. Rus didn’t have to deal with dating, or playing ‘the game’ so to speak. All he had to do was a few flirty lines at the club and voila! Easy, non-committal sex.

 

If he was honest with himself, the closest he had ever been to anyone was Sans and Red. Rus loved Sans and Red as much as he could. They were his best friends. He wasn’t surprised that rumors had spread across the science community that Rus was fucking both the small skeletons. Hell they were cute enough. But no, he wasn’t. He spent most of his freshman year consoling Sans after watching his friend get his heart broken and convincing Red to actually open up to him. Rus loved the two in a protective older brother kind of way. It still didn’t stop the stares and whispers the three got whenever they were seen doing experiments, or hanging out together.

 

Rus pulled out a new toothpick and placed it in his mouth. Man he could really go for a cigarette right now, but class was just about to start. He took the moment to look around the class that was relatively large. It was a decent size lecture hall. There was a large podium up front with a large projector screen pressed up against the wall in front of the class. Just like he thought, this was going to be easy. The class was so large and dense he would be able to sleep though it without the professor knowing. Rus pulled his hood up as he crossed his arms and used them as pillows. You know, sleep actually sounds good right now. He could rest up so he would have energy for the club tonight. He was sitting close to the back anyway, no one would notice.

 

Rus was vaguely aware of the sound of a microphone and someone talking. He kept his head down and willed himself to block out the noise. Soon the class lulled into quiet and his breathing evened out into slow, deep breaths. It was a pleasant dreamless sleep. He was greeted by a welcomed black void. In no time at all he was sure he would be jostled awake by a kind classmate letting him know that class was over. He loved these kinds of black void sleep, where you close your eyes for a few seconds and turns out hours passed.

 

Rus was soon roused from his slumber when a soft but firm object bonked him on his head. He mumbled something inaudible as he forced himself to open his eyes. His focus zoned in on a tiny bone laying on his desk right in front of him.

 

A bone? Did he do that in his sleep?

 

“So glad for you to join us!”

 

Rus recognized the voice was over the microphone. He peered up over his arms and saw a figure standing at the podium up front.

 

**_‘Must be the professor. Shit how did he see me sleeping all the way back here?’_ **

****

“Please remove your hood so you can join in with the class discussions.”

 

Rus made no move to remove his hood. His mind was still fuzzy from sleep and he couldn’t comprehend instructions right now.

 

*BONK*

 

Another bone bounced off Rus’ forehead.

 

“Ah shit!” Rus rubbed his forehead and looked down at the second small bone on his desk.

 

Wait… Another bone? That didn’t come from him?

 

“I can do this all day! My aim is impeccable!”

 

Rus finally sat up straight. As soon as he did his hood fell back revealing his face and clearing his vision towards the person standing at the podium.

 

Rus’s sockets widened a little bit. **_‘This can’t be…’_** Rus looked over the small skeletal figure of the professor standing in front of the class. He looked just like Sans, but his pupils were huge and brilliant blue. Something about his voice and finally seeing the body it belonged to made Rus realize how small and innocent looking this professor was. No! He couldn’t be a professor. He was too cute. Rus glanced at the screen behind the professor. At the top it listed the class and his name.

 

Psychology 103  
Professor Blue

 

Well that was fitting.

 

Rus could feel his soul speeding up in his rib cage. Why was that? What about seeing another skeleton monster made him so excited? Was it because they were rare? No. He didn’t get this excited when meeting Sans or Red. Was it because he looks so much like Sans? No… Red was like Sans' twin and he didn’t have this strong of a reaction when meeting the nervous skeleton in chemistry. So what was it?

 

What…

 

~~~~~~~~~

 

Blue had his hands on his hips as he waited for his student to wake up. He may have an entire lecture hall to watch over, but he was ready to handle it! He wasn’t a lazy professor that let his students do whatever they wanted. He was hands on. He was here to educate the minds of these young monsters and humans and darn it he was going to do his best! And no student of his was going to slack off on his watch.

 

Blue watched as the hooded student made no move to get up.

 

**_‘Stubborn one I see. Oh well, nothing the magnificent Blue can’t handle!’_ **

****

Blue expertly conjured another bone. He had strong control over his magic and made sure that he didn’t make it solid enough to do any damage, but he couldn’t guarantee that it wouldn’t hurt a little. With his extensive training he was able to aim the bone directly for the hooded student's head. Another direct hit.

 

“I can do this all day! My aim is impeccable!”

 

Blue watched the hooded student stir and finally get up, his blue eyes sparked with victory.

 

As he was about to say a snappy comment sure to put the lazy student in his place, his blue eyes widened and sparkled for a different reason. Sitting a ways away, in his class, was another skeleton monster. And he looked awfully familiar. Although this tall skeleton monster seemed much more relaxed and less sharp than the one he was used to. Blue couldn’t decide if the skeleton’s tired eyes gave way to a level of wisdom, or if he was just another tired college student. It was probably the latter. He was most likely reading way too far into this.

 

His soul pounded in his chest, almost as if responding to something.

 

No, this isn’t anything. It can’t be.

 

**_‘I’m just shocked that he looks so much like him. It’s nothing. Nothing at all.’_ **

****

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

There was an awkward silence in the class, both skeletons lost in their thoughts.

 

The spell was broken when a student up front coughed awkwardly as if to get the professors attention.

 

“R-right! Anyways, let’s continue with chapter one shall we!” Blue cleared his throat and proceeded with the power point displayed on the screen.

 

Rus stayed awake for the rest of the class. Granted he wasn’t paying attention to the lecture, mostly the professor. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the small skeleton. The way he spoke with such enthusiasm, the way he would wave his arms around and pace across the class when he got particularly excited about a piece of the curriculum.

 

While Professor Blue wasn’t looking, Rus pulled out his phone and began to text Sans.

 

3:30pm  
Rus: Dude, you aren’t going to believe this. I found your clone.

 

3:40pm  
Rus: He’s actually kinda cute ;)

 

Rus stared at his phone waiting for Sans to text back.

 

Nothing.

 

Sans couldn’t really be taking culinary that seriously. Maybe he fell asleep in class and didn’t feel his phone buzz. Oh well, they were going to see each other after class anyway. He’d talk with him about it later at Grilbz.

 

Rus continued to watch Blue as he spoke. His eyes became unfocused to the world around him, only watching the small skeleton monster up front.

 

Before he knew it, class had ended.

 

Rus noticed all the other students were packing up and leaving. He looked around and watched as everyone filled out of class, eager to get out of school and head home. Rus made no rush as he packed up his notebook that contained all of 3 doodles as notes for the whole lecture.

 

Best student ever.

 

Before he knew it the class was completely empty, leaving Rus and Blue the only ones in the class. He stared at his book bag awkwardly. He wanted to say something to the professor, maybe see what kind of skeleton monster he was. The only ones he knew about were all science nerds. Maybe they could be friends? If they got past the whole teacher student thing.

 

“Here.”

 

Rus looked up to see Blue standing right in front of him, holding out a piece of paper. He looked it over. It was the class syllabus.

 

“You were asleep when we passed these out. I wanted to make sure you got one so you don’t fall behind.” Blue gave a bright smile, his cheeks dusted a light blue.

 

**_‘So cute…’_ **

****

“Thanks. Sorry about that by the way. Just figured I could do psychology in my sleep.” Rus gave a lazy wink as he took the paper, shoving it haphazardly into his book bag.

 

Blue’s smile faded as he watched Rus with a look of concern. “Psychology isn’t something to be taken lightly. It helps us understand others.”

 

“People, monsters, humans, are all easy to understand. It always boils down to the basic instincts.”

 

“Basic instincts? People are much more complicated than that. They all have hopes and dreams and feelings. The better we understand each other, the better we can help one another.” Blue stood with his hands on his hips, his grin turned up into a bright smile.

 

“Psh! No one is interested in learning how to help others. People take classes like this so they can learn how to manipulate people into doing things they want. It’s just another way to use people.”

 

Blue’s bright smile faded once again as he watched Rus explain his reasoning.

 

“People only care about the basics in life, survival and sex. They manipulate emotions in order to coerce others into giving them what they need. Then they toss people aside and look for another source of temporary chemically induced happiness.” Rus stared quietly at his book bag for a while after his rant had ended.

 

Blue watched Rus carefully, noting the way the taller skeleton looked forlorn at his own theory. Something about the sight of the other skeleton in such a state sent a pang through his soul. He couldn’t stand for this. Something had to be done.

 

“You think so? Then give me a chance to prove you wrong!”

 

“What?” Rus looked up at the little skeleton that was once again bubbling with enthusiasm.

 

“You think that people only come down to basic instincts. I can prove to you that people are more than that. I can prove that emotions are real, people don’t just use others for survival and sex. People come together for companionship and love!” In Blue’s explanation he became over excited and was now leaning over the table, face just inches apart from Rus’.

 

Rus couldn’t help but blush a bright orange at the close proximity of the smaller skeleton. He looked up into Blue eyes and saw that they were shimmering and the pupils took on what looked to be the shape of stars.

 

**_‘Stars it should be illegal for one skeleton to be so cute!’_ **

****

Rus would never admit it, but cute things were his weakness. And as preposterous as the professor's idea sounded, he didn’t have it in his soul to break the little guy's rose tinted view of the world.

 

“Okay. I’ll give you a chance to prove it.”

 

Blue looked like he was about to explode. He was so happy that the other skeleton was open to the idea that the world wasn’t such a horrible place, and people weren’t so selfish.

 

“Well then, you have a lot to study for tonight Mr…” Blue trailed off and a small blush spread over his cheek bones. Holy tacos he didn’t even know this student’s name. And here he was having a philosophical debate over the inherit goodness in people.

 

“Heh, just Rus. No need for the Mr part. And besides, going to have to take a rain check on that studying, Teach. You know how us students are, we party all night.” Rus gave a lazy shrug.

 

Blue could feel his socket twitch at the remark. So much for the tired eyes being full of wisdom theory.

 

“I see you have your priorities in order.” Blue crossed his arms and tapped his foot in annoyance. Always the mother hen, worried about students and their extracurricular activities outside of school.

 

“What? Don’t tell me you never partied when you went to school.” Rus placed his book bag on his shoulder, when he looked down at Blue he almost passed out.

 

Blue had the most adorable pout on his face, his cheeks burning blue as he looked off to the side. His arms still crossed over his chest made his frame look even smaller. “I partied!”

 

Rus coughed and held his hand up to his nose hole, sure that he was going to have a nose bleed with how adorable his professor was acting.

 

**_‘My professor cannot be this cute!’_ **

****

Besides his professor being so god damn adorable, Rus found the situation to be quite hilarious. Here this guy was, a bright optimistic little blueberry, so innocent to the world. He obviously never did anything devious. He could read this skeleton like a book, and he doubted Blue ever even picked up a beer none the less ever went to a real party.

 

Rus’ mind trailed off to all the other things his innocent professor probably never did. Each idea more perverted than the next.

 

Okay he was sure he had a nose bleed by now.

 

“You can’t fool me, you’re way too innocent and safe to do anything fun and exciting like partying.” Rus teased even though he was trying to hide his bright orange blush and gushing nose.

 

Blue gawked at Rus. How dare this student insinuate he couldn’t have fun! He had lots of fun! He had a myriad of puzzles and board games at home thank you very much!

 

“You-“ Right as Blue was about to come back with a witty retort, the door to the class opened up.

 

Dang it, can never get a remark in on this guy!

 

Sans stood in the doorway of the lecture hall and looked around till he spotted Blue and Rus. His eyes focused on Blue for a while before he looked up at Rus expectantly, waiting for him to finish with his conversation with his professor.

 

Rus turned to see who opened the door and spotted his friend waiting patiently. “Oh hey Sans, sorry to keep ya.”

 

“Just wanted to let you know we should probably get ready to head to Grilbz soon, or else Red will get there before us.”

 

“Yeah, that would be bad if he was there alone.” Rus turned back to Blue and gave a sly wink. “See ya later, teach.”

 

Blue felt his face burning. He was sure his cheeks were bright blue.

 

Rus turned and left, not giving Blue a chance to recover as he headed out of the class, Sans fallowing at his side.

 

Blue rubbed his sternum where he felt his soul fluttering in his chest. There were a mix of emotions buzzing around inside and none of them made sense. He needed to talk to someone. After taking a deep breath to calm his over active nerves he pulled out his phone and typed up a quick text.

 

6:02pm  
Blue: Hey, I’m coming over to your office. I need to talk.

 

6:03pm  
Fell: Fuck off I have papers to grade.

 

6:04pm  
Blue: It’s only the first day of the semester!  
Blue: How do you already have papers to grade?

 

6:05pm  
Fell: It’s to weed out the garbage students. If they can’t handle the work load they can get the hell out of my class.

 

6:06pm  
Blue: You are a very mean professor…

 

6:09pm  
Fell: Thank you

 

6:10pm  
Blue: … I’m still coming over.

 

6:15pm  
Fell: I know. I just put the kettle on the stove.

 

6:16pm  
Blue: You’re the best! <3

 

6:17pm  
Fell: I know I am

 

______________

 

Sans and Rus walked towards their dorm apartment in silence, the only noise to be heard were the few students still on campus and the music blasting from Sans blue headphones that hung freely across his neck.

 

Sans quietly reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a spare napkin that he kept handy from lunch and handed it to Rus. “You’re right. He was… cute.”

 

“Oh stars I didn’t think I was going to make it!” Rus tilted his head back as she shoved the napkin up his nose hole to stop the bleeding.   

 

Sans couldn’t help it as he began laughing at Rus’ embarrassing state.

 

Rus playfully shoved Sans for laughing at him.

 

“By the way… I met someone in culinary.” Sans looked to the side to avoid the questioning gaze that he was sure Rus was giving him.

 

“So that’s why you didn’t answer my texts.” Rus didn’t have any playfulness in his voice anymore. His tone became uncharacteristically serious. He wasn’t going to lie, hearing Sans say that put him on edge. The last time Sans said he met someone it ended up with him on the bathroom floor for several days completely zoned out and mute. Rus wasn’t sure what to do, or how to help his friend. By some miracle Rus and Red had been able to say all the right things and do all the right things to get their friend back on his feet. But the damage was done, both of them could see it.  

 

“Yeah… I also invited them to come hang out with us at Grilbz tonight…” Sans shoved his hands in his pockets, hoping that Rus didn’t freak out on him.

 

He didn’t.

 

Rus kept his posture calm as always. He didn’t yell, or raise his voice even. “Do you think this is a good idea?”

 

“Honestly… I don’t know.”

 

They both stayed silent the rest of the way back to their apartment. They weren’t sure what was going to happen. But one thing was for sure, tonight was going to be eventful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that all the skeles have met, we can get to the meat of the story.  
> I'm excited for things to come. :)


	4. A Night at Grilbz

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait guys. I wanted to make sure I did this chapter justice. But on the bright side this chapter is the longest one so far. So hope that makes up for it. ^-^
> 
> Grilbz Club Music  
> • Sans and Papyrus’s dance:  
> Caravan Palace - Lone Digger  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbQgXeY_zi4

Rus lounged on the couch in the living room, a cigarette lit between his teeth as he listened to Sans shuffling through his closet. The small skeleton would occasionally power walk from his room to Rus’ room, then to the bathroom, then back to his room. All the while muttering random curse words under his breath as he paced. Rus took a slow drag from his cigarette, unable to suppress the amused smirk on his face. Sans was nervous, and it was a pleasurable mix of adorable and hilarious. Rus couldn’t help himself from having a little fun with his friend. “If you don’t hurry up we’re going to be late, even if we teleport!”

 

“Fuck!”

 

Rus heard a crash in Sans' room and took a victory drag of his cigarette. This was too fun.

 

“I don’t have any clean clothes!” Sans ran out of his room standing only in a pair of black basketball shorts. Presumably the only clean pants he had other than his school uniform. And calling his uniform clean was being generous.

 

“I can’t go. I can’t. I… Oh stars I don’t even have his number to tell him it’s canceled. Shit! No I’ll go, it’s rude to cancel. Should I wear my uniform? Does that look too nerdy to wear to a club? Yes it is, don’t answer that.” Sans paced back and forth, arguing with himself more than Rus.

 

“Holy shit dude, chill out.” Rus decided he had messed with the small skeleton enough. Any more and Sans was going to end up hyperventilating on the floor like Red normally would in this situation. “I’ll lend you something of mine.” Rus stood up from the couch and lazily made his way to his room. He made sure to take slower steps than normal, his feet shuffling painfully loud against the carpet. He knew his slow pace was probably driving Sans crazy in his frantic state. Okay maybe keep messing with him just a little more.

 

Rus made his way to his closet and located the ‘clean’ pile of clothes on the floor. Who had time to fold or hang up laundry when the clothes were just going to get dirty within the week anyway? Rus picked up one shirt, then another, examining the articles of clothing carefully. It was strange to see Sans so worked up. Normally his friend was so relaxed. This guy from his culinary class really must of left an impression on sans. Rus wasn’t entirely sure that was a good thing. He was still on guard about the whole situation, but Sans was his friend. He couldn’t keep subtly dissuading Sans from dating forever. But at the same time he wasn’t completely convinced Sans was well enough to handle another relationship. Regardless, Rus was Sans' friend and he was going to be there for the small skeleton any way he could. And if right now he needed an outfit to impress his classmate, then that’s what he was going to help with. Rus picked up a white sweater. It had a low V-neck and the cloth looked nice enough to be worn for an outing, but having it all one color made sure it wasn’t too flashy.

 

“Here.” Russ threw Sans the sweater.

 

Sans smiled bright, thankful for the gesture. He slipped the sweater on and as it fell over his frame his smile quickly faded.

 

The sweater was nice. There wasn’t any question about it. But Rus was taller than him, so the article of clothing was already large on Sans' smaller frame, add to the v-neck line and now Sans clavicle and top of his sternum was showing.

 

“Sorry about that. It’s a little baggy for you.” Rus rubbed the back of his vertebra awkwardly. It wasn’t like he could give him something else to wear, anything he had would be just as baggy on Sans.

 

“It’s okay, I got an idea.” Sans made his way back to his bedroom and rummaged through the pile of clothes in his closet. He smirked as he pulled out a long red scarf. It was perfect for covering up his exposed bones. He wrapped it around loosely, making it look like a fashion piece rather than a random piece of cloth meant to hide his wardrobe malfunction.

 

Sans stepped back into the living room and stood straight, silently asking for Rus’ approval.

 

Rus finished his cigarette and put it out on the ashtray on the coffee table. “Looks good. You’ll get some dick for sure.”

 

Sans face immediately flushed bright blue. “I am not after his dick!”

 

“Mhm, keep telling yourself that. Now we should really get going. It’s 9pm and Red is probably already there.” Rus pulled out his phone and checked his text messages.

 

No messages.

 

Rus stared at the screen a little concerned. Red was normally early anywhere he went. He was always so punctual. This could only mean one thing.

 

Roommate was keeping him.

 

“Let’s go.” Sans grabbed hold of Rus’ arm, not noticing Rus’ concerned gaze at his phone as he teleported them to Grilbz.

 

__________________

 

“And this guy has the audacity to tell me I don’t know how to have fun! Me! I’m totally fun!”

 

“Mhm.” Fell responded for the 25th time within the hour. The taller skeleton was trying to finish grading papers as his friend and colleague paced across his office, ranting on about a student of his. Fell knew that when Blue was on a tirade, it was best to just let him talk. Most of the time a simple ‘Mhm’ or ‘you don’t say’ in between pauses was enough to satisfy the small blue ball of energy.

 

“I just… I don’t know what to think. When he told me how people were mean and selfish I couldn’t help thinking that I really needed to help this guy out. He seemed so… sad and lonely. To be so young and to believe the world is such a horrible place… What do you think, Fell?” Blue finally sat down on the couch inside the office.

 

“Mhm.”

 

“Fell, are you even listening?!” Blue huffed, his cheek bones dusting a light shade of blue. If he had just spent the last hour talking his head off and his friend hadn’t been listening, oh words were going to be said. And gestures.

 

Fell sighed and took his glasses off as he paused from his work at his desk. “Look, here’s a good question. Why do you give a damn?” Fell stared sharply at his friend on the couch.

 

Blue shifted uncomfortably under the taller skeletons scrutinizing stare. Why _did_ he care? This was the real question Blue had been trying to figure out all night.

 

“Blue…” Fell paused as if finding the right words to use. He reminded himself he had to be gentle with his friend. Blue was more sensitive than most professors. Always getting too involved in his student’s personal lives, always trying to be that one professor that changes a student’s life for the better. He vaguely chastised himself for showing Blue the movie The Dead Poets Society. He should have known Blue would try to emulate the movie in some way now that he was a professor himself. “If people view the world as selfish, then who are you to tell them their views are wrong? You don’t know anything about this student, so who’s to say that _his_ world isn’t selfish?”

 

Blue froze.

 

Fell was right. In his roller-coaster of emotions Blue had completely forgot how to think critically about the situation. Rus thought the world was such a terrible place because in _his_ world with _his_ experiences, the world is just that- terrible, dark, selfish…

 

Blue wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about this breakthrough. On one hand he now knew why Rus was so pessimistic, but on the other hand the thought of what exactly could have happened to the young skeleton to make his outlook on life so bleak had the small skeleton gazing at the ground with concern. What had happened to Rus? Who had hurt him, taught him that people only used one another? Would he be able to help his student? And why did he freaking care so much?!

 

Fell sighed once more as he stood up from his desk and crossed the short distance to the couch. He leaned down and tucked his skeletal hand under Blue’s chin and tilted the small skeleton’s face up.

 

“Fell? Oh, sorry… I got lost in thought.” Blue blushed at the realization that he had been zoning out for so long. Even though his head was tilted up he kept his gaze to the side, his big blue pupils looking anywhere but Fell’s face.

 

“You’re worrying too much over this. Why don’t you let me help you relax?”

 

Blue could feel his cheek bones burning brighter at all the offer suggested. He felt his magic tingle a little at the thought. “Fell… We aren’t together anymore. It didn’t work out, remember?” Blue could feel his voice betraying him with each word that came out. His want was leaking through.

 

Fell leaned in closer, their mouths just centimeters apart. “I know. I’m not asking you to go out with me. I’m asking if you want me to help you feel good…”

 

Blue shuddered feeling Fell’s hot breath on him, his resolve crumbling with teach tingle of magic tickling at his bones. Before Blue’s mind caught up with him, he closed the distance between the two as he pressed his teeth gently against Fell’s.

 

Fell took no time in deepening the kiss. His red tongue pressed against Blue’s teeth, asking for entrance. Blue felt himself complying immediately, his own blue tongue quickly forming to greet the intruding red appendage. Fell easily dominated Blue’s mouth, making the kiss more and more rough.

 

“Mmf! Fell.”

 

Blue couldn’t stop the small whines escaping between each kiss. They seemed to only edge Fell on more. He leaned over the small skeleton, pressing Blue to the back of the couch with his own body. His hands beginning to wonder under the other skeleton's shirt, rubbing the smooth bones of his ribs.

 

Blue gasped and began to pant at the soft touches. He craved for more, he needed more. Blue arched into the touch causing Fell to reach lower and trace down his spine. The touches sent waves of fire across his bones, but he knew Fell wasn’t going to keep at his gentle pace for very long.

 

True to form Fell gripped Blue’s ribs and tugged him forward harshly causing Blue to arch his pelvis into Fell’s. “Ahh! Fell… Not so rough.” Blue blushed as his over sensitive ribs stung with both pain and pleasure.

 

Fell smirked. He knew he had to hold back with Blue. Their past experiences in bed taught him that Blue was not a masochist. But he also knew Blue could handle more than he led on.

 

Fell moved onto the couch and straddled the smaller skeleton, pressing his back further into the furniture. Slowly he began to grind against Blue’s pelvis. He watched as the little skeleton moaned with each thrust. His bones shaking with his pupils hazy and unfocused. With a satisfied grin, Fell grabbed Blue’s wrists and pinned them on each side of his head. “We have to go rough if we want to work out all the stress.” Fell leaned down and ran his tongue across Blue’s exposed vertebrae. Blue sucked in his breath sharply, the attack on his neck sending his mind further into the haze. Fell ran his tongue all the way down to Blue’s clavicle, dipping under his shirt where he was sure the clothing could mask any marks. He bit down hard onto the bone.

 

“Nnh! No don’t leave a mark!” Blue shuddered, but as soon as Fell began to suck and bite harder the small skeleton melted into unintelligible mewls and whimpers. Blue began bucking upward to meet Fell's rutting. He could feel Fell’s magic had already formed a hard member and it was pressing against the puff of blue magic that was quickly forming a dripping entrance.

 

Fell could feel the front of his pants getting wet from Blue’s dripping magic. He chuckled as he let go of Blue’s clavicle, admiring the bright red mark seeping marrow. “Look how badly you want this.” Fell got off the couch and knelt down in front of Blue. He quickly unzipped and pulled the dark slacks off the small skeleton, exposing his puffy ecto-pussy. Blue looked away embarrassed at how wet he already was.

 

Fell licked his sharp teeth before he leaned forward and plunged the red tongue deep inside Blue’s weeping pussy. He quickly began to slide the long tongue deep in and out of his entrance, licking up the slick walls and tasting Blue’s precum.

 

“Ah! F-fell! Yes!” Blue grabbed at the couch cushions, trying to hold onto anything that would ground him to reality.

 

Fell grabbed Blue’s femurs and pushed them up to his head, his pelvis tilting upward. Fell took the opportunity of this new position to plunge his tongue in deeper into the blue pussy. He could feel Blue tighten around him over and over as he continued to slip his tongue in and out.

 

Blue couldn’t take it. He let his tongue lull out as he panted hard. He could feel heat pooling down to his lower region. His orgasm was building quickly.

 

Sensing this, Fell retracted his tongue completely. He smirked up at the quivering bundle of bones as he licked the remaining juices off his face. “I think that will do.” Fell stood up and began dusting off his sweater.

 

“W-what? No! Please!” Blue’s pleading eyes shot towards the tall skeleton.

 

Fell grinned and reached down, slowly sliding one finger inside Blue’s dripping pussy. “No? What is it you want then?” He began to slide his finger in and out languishingly.

 

Blue shuddered at the stimulation, but it wasn’t enough. His magic pulsed painfully at his conjured pussy, begging for relief. He shut his eyes tight at the embarrassment. “P-please Fell… fuck me…”

 

Fell gave a hum of approval and Blue could hear the sounds of the taller skeletons pants unzipping. His bones rattled with anticipation. Blue then felt the head of the other skeleton’s cock press against his slick entrance. It rubbed teasingly over his swollen clit. Blue bit his tongue to keep from moaning or begging any further.

 

“Scream for me…”

 

Suddenly Fell pushed all the way in, sheathing himself deep inside Blue. His wet pussy making it easy to slide in.

 

“Ahh! Oh stars, Fell!”

 

 Fell began a quick relentless pace, pounding into the tight wet entrance, not giving Blue a moment to rest. He grabbed Blue’s pelvis and began pulling him forward to meet his thrusts. His cock hitting the end of Blue’s magic each time.

 

Blue fell apart in pure bliss. His pupils rolled back in his skull as he drooled shamelessly. The pleasure was too much, modesty be damned. He felt himself bucking in time with Fell’s thrusts, loving the feeling of being filled to the brim.

 

Fell Leaned over panting and making soft grunts. He placed one knee onto the couch and his thrusts began to speed up. Fell could feel his cock throbbing as his orgasm began to build. Blue bounced helplessly on Fells throbbing member as his cock pummeled deep and fast inside him.

 

“Fell-ah! I can’t! Ah! I’m gonna cum!”

 

Fell ran his tongue up Blue’s vertebrae to the side of his skull where his ear would be before leaning forward, his hot pants caressing the smooth skull. “Cum for me. Cum as I fill you up.”

 

That did it. Blue clung to Fell as he rolled his head back and let out a long moan, his orgasm crashing over him in waves. His pussy clenching Fell’s member tightly as he rode out his orgasm, dribbles of cum leaking down his femurs.

 

Fell continued to pound into Blue, prolonging the stimulation of his climax. He could feel Blue’s pussy tighten in protest. That was enough to send him over the edge. He buried himself deep inside Blue as he released his load. He watched as spurt after spurt of cum filled the translucent blue hole.

 

Fell slowly pulled out and watched their conjured organs fade from existence, Blue’s pelvis still covered in traces of their combined magic. He stood up and zipped his pants back up as he made his way back to his desk. Finding his glasses, he put them back on then sat down wordlessly as he proceeded to continue grading papers.

 

Blue panted softly, still trying to catch his breath as he stayed right where he was on the couch. He watched Fell return back to his work with an unreadable expression.

 

This is why they didn’t work out.

 

Blue knew Fell was never going to change. He didn’t do the couple thing. He didn’t cuddle after sex. He didn’t surprise you with flowers or cute messages. Hell he didn’t even take people on dates. Fell wasn’t one to be open with his emotions. He communicated, but not the way Blue wanted. Fell just wasn’t what Blue wanted in a relationship. All these issues is what lead to their inevitable break up. But Blue figured their failed relationship was mostly his fault.

 

Fell and Blue went to school together. They had always been friends. Blue saw Fell and thought he was the coolest monster in school. He refused to take no for an answer and clung to the edgy skeleton until Fell finally accepted the small skeleton's friendship. For as long as Blue could remember, Fell had always been distant. Like Fell put up a wall that no one could get over. As far as Blue knew, he was the closest person to Fell. No one else stayed in the edgy skeleton’s life long enough, and it seemed like Fell never really cared.

 

If Blue was honest with himself, he never had romantic feelings for Fell. Their relationship happened by accident. One drunken night they just happened to have sex. In Blue’s innocent mind that had to mean something, right? So he pursued a relationship with Fell to see if feelings would blossom forward. Nothing came. So admittedly the breakup was mutual. They decided to remain friends afterword and pretend like their little relationship experiment never happened. Of course, from time to time the two would find sexual comfort in one another with casual sex.

 

This on the other hand did bother Blue.

 

Blue had a romantic view of love. He still believed that his true love was out there. A love that you knew it the second you laid eyes on one another. The attraction was so strong that nothing could break you two apart. A love that had the souls yearning for one another. That was true love. And he was sure true love wasn’t into casual sex. That wasn’t romantic. Sex was supposed to be special, it was supposed to mean something.

 

Blue sighed as he realized how hypocritical he sounded in his own head. Here he was gushing over what true love was like while he laid pants-less, still covered in his and Fells magic caused by their casual sex. Blue laid down and pulled the throw blanket that was laying across the top of the couch over himself. At least Fell left him a blanket in his office for after their play time. Blue closed his eyes as he let his mind wonder. He vaguely wondered if Rus was still out partying. Was he out having casual sex too? Blue wasn’t sure why, but the thought sent a small ping to his soul.

 

__________________________

 

Sans and Rus teleported in front of Grilbz with a little *blip*. Sans brushed out his sweater and looked at Rus waiting to see if the other skeleton was ready too. Rus smiled lazily and nodded to Sans, answering his unspoken question. The two made their way inside the club. Immediately upon opening the doors they were bombarded with loud dance music. The building was dimmed aside from the random strobes of light that littered the dance floor. All the students were out tonight. It seemed that they all had the same idea to start the semester off with a bang.

 

Rus and Sans made their way to an unoccupied booth off to the side and claimed the table. Sans looked around the club expectantly. He spotted Asriel and Frisk on the dance floor. Asriel was trying to dance closer to Frisk, but the fast upbeat music didn’t lend itself to a close dance. He chuckled at Asriel’s perpetual fate to the friend zone. Sans continued to look around, aside from a few more monsters Sans knew from the science program there was no one else. There was no sign of Papyrus.

 

Rus watched as Sans thoroughly scanned the club until his face fell a little with disappointment. “Hey, maybe he’s just late. I mean Red isn’t even here yet.” Rus semi had to shout over the loud pounding music.

 

Speaking of Red. Rus pulled out his phone and checked his text messages again.

 

Still nothing.

 

Rus typed out a quick text.

 

9:10pm  
Rus: Hey Red, you still coming?

 

Rus set his phone down on the table, ready to answer immediately if Red were to call.

 

“You’re right. It’s only a little after 9.” Sans looked down at his boney hands that were clenched in his lap. He frowned to himself. This was stupid. Why was he so worked up over this? Why did any of this matter? He was here to have fun and to celebrate the new semester. More importantly he was here to help get Red out of that damn apartment and away from that roommate for a while.

 

Oh god Red!

 

“Wait, Red still isn’t here?”

 

Rus shook his head and kept his eyes zoned in on his phone on the table. If that fucking douche of a roommate hurt Red again, twice in one day, he was going to shove a bone so far up his-

 

“Heya guys!” Red popped up to the table, balancing drinks in his arms.

 

Rus let out a breath that he didn’t realize he was holding. “Hey man, where were you?”

 

“S-sorry. I was trying to get ahead on some homework. I lost track of time.” Red’s cheeks dusted a light crimson. He was lucky he decided to read his literature class’s first book ahead of time. While the lit professor seemed cool and sexy, he was also a hard ass. They already had to write an essay in class on their first day!

 

“Geeze what kind of elective did you pick?” Sans rested his chin on the back of his hand as he leaned forward onto the table. He knew Red couldn’t be talking about any science class. They all took the same classes when it came to the science program.

 

Red’s blush grew brighter. “Uh, y-you know. R-required stuff…” Red began to sweat nervously. This was not something he wanted to discuss. He thought he was in the clear when he ditched the two at lunch.

 

“Hey Sans, it’s 9:30. Where’s your guy?” Rus drawled as he stared at his phone before putting it away.

 

  ** _‘Rus, I fucking love you! Thank you!’_**

 

Red silently willed his gratitude to Rus for diverting the conversation. Rus quickly looked to Red and gave a discreet wink.

 

Sans looked up and scanned the club again. Still no sign of Papyrus. Was this guy messing with him? He began to doubt trusting the word of a jock.

 

“Sans, you waiting on someone?” Red blinked in surprise. He looked down at his arms as if he finally remembered the drinks. He began to distribute them amongst his friends.

 

Sans took his drink and stared at the contents blankly. “Kind of… Not sure if they’re coming.”

 

“Eh fuck ‘em, right? You’re here to have a good time.” Red held up his drink in an attempt to try and cheer up his friend. Rus held up his drink as well.

 

Sans stared at his friends as a smile spread across his skull. His two boneheads were the best. He picked up his drink and clanked it with the others. “Let’s get bone wiled!”

 

The three of them cheered and began their drinking.

 

________

 

By 10:30pm the three skeletons were pretty buzzed. The good mood and alcohol had the three laughing and telling jokes left and right. Once further into the night they had taken enough shots to convince themselves that they were skilled enough to go out on the dance floor.

 

Rus kept his hands in the pockets of his hoodie as he bobbed his head and swayed to the beat of the music. Sans and Red had a glow stick in each hand, jumping and waving them to the beats that pounded through the club. Both Sans and Red occasionally bumped into each other in their drunken dance session. Rus would get caught in the cross fire from time to time, only to gently hip bump them back. Upon seeing their friends finally hit the dance floor Frisk and Asriel soon joined in, creating a small rambunctious drunken circle. Sans gave a mischievous grin as he bumped into Frisk on purpose, making her bump into Asriel. Frisk giggled and hugged the goat monster half way to apologize, half way to hold herself up. Sans watched with amusement as Asriel’s cheeks burned bright enough to be seen through his white fur.

 

Sans couldn’t suppress his drunken laughter at the situation as he stumbled back. He bumped into another club goer in the process. “Sorry about that, buddy!” Sans yelled in order to be heard over the music.

 

“SANS?”

 

Sans froze.

 

He turned around and looked up seeing Papyrus smiling brightly at him. “I’M SORRY I’M LATE.” The tall skeleton nervously wrung his hands together, not sure if his being late upset Sans.

 

Sans couldn’t suppress the wide smile that spread across his face. “It’s no problem. Glad you could make it.”

 

**_‘He came…’_ **

****

“Hi Papyrus! Glad you could make it!” Frisk waved to their classmate as they continued their dancing.

 

Both Red and Rus paused to look at the new skeleton monster. Red’s sockets widen as he looked over the new comer. He looked _just_ like Rus. Red glanced over to his friend with a shocked and questioning gaze. Rus met Red’s look and gave a lazy smile accompanied with an equally lazy shrug.

 

Rus turned to look back at Sans and Papyrus, watching his friend interact with the taller skeleton. This new skeleton monster didn’t look like he was a bad guy. He actually looked kind of innocent in his cargo shorts and graphic-T. His huge sparkling smile sure didn’t scream evil jock. Rus let a small smile slip across his skull. Maybe this wasn’t so bad for Sans after all.

 

“Hey you want something to drink?” Sans offered while trying to avoid eye contact. He just knew his cheeks were glowing blue. Both from the alcohol and his excitement over Papyrus actually showing up.

 

“S-SURE! LET US GO GET A DRINK!” Papyrus didn’t want to seem uncool, but truth be told he had never touched alcohol in his life. Deep down the idea of trying alcohol out for the first time, in front of Sans no less, scared him greatly. What if he made a fool of himself? What if he said or did something during his drunken state that offended the smaller skeleton? Papyrus couldn’t deny that he had an instant attraction to the other skeleton after meeting him earlier today. He wanted to make a good first impression.

 

Sans took Papyrus’s hand and lead him off the dance floor over to the bar. He could feel the same warm tingles of magic that he first felt when shaking the taller skeleton's hand. Sans soul pulsed faster. The spark was still there, still warm, still comforting.

 

They reached the bar and sat down on the stools. Sans looked over the bar spotting his friend waved over to Grillby. The flaming bartender walked up to the two, he was polishing a glass quietly. Grillby’s calm and quiet demeanor didn’t seem to fit the club scene at all, yet most of the patrons preferred Grillby over the other bartenders. Sometimes it was nice to take a breather from the intensity of the club and relax at the bar without someone yelling or shouting. Sans knew Grillby pretty well. He spent a lot of time at this bar during his Freshman year.

 

Sans looked to Papyrus seeing his eager, happy smile. He decided he shouldn’t go too heavy on the alcohol, considering he was already pretty buzzed and Papyrus didn’t seem like one for straight liquor. “Two strawberry mojitos, Grillby.”

 

The flaming bartender nodded and headed further down the bar to prepare the drinks.

 

Papyrus tried his best to sit still while his nerves were kicking in. Here we go. His first drink on his first outing with Sans. No worries. Nothing the great Papyrus couldn’t handle! He shot a quick glance at Sans. The smaller skeleton looked good in his street cloths, the baggy sweater made him look even smaller than normal. Papyrus couldn’t help but think how cool yet cute Sans looked. He took in a deep breath. He could do this. As soon as Papyrus was done with his little internal pep talk, Grillby came back with the drinks. He set them in front of the two skeletons wordlessly.

 

“Thanks, buddy.” Sans immediately started drinking the mojito. He needed a little more liquid courage if he was going to keep his cool around Papyrus.

 

Papyrus eyed the drink in front him wearily. He then turned to San and watched as the small skeleton began to sip his drink casually. Turning back to his own drink he continued to stare at it. This was no big deal. He could do this! Papyrus picked up the drink and took a taste sip. It was… pretty good! It had a bit of a burning after taste, but for the most part it was sweet and refreshing. Papyrus found that after a few sips, he got used to the unpleasant after burn, and before he knew it he had downed his first drink.

 

“WOWIE! THIS IS AMAZING!” Papyrus was already feeling the buzz. It was safe to say his previous virgin diet made him quite the light weight.

 

Grillby placed another strawberry mojito in front of Papyrus to replace his drink. The tall skeleton thanked the elemental and began to sip happily on his new drink.

 

“So what made you decide to take culinary?” Now that Sans was sufficiently numb from his nervous emotions, he felt like he could finally handle a conversation with papyrus.

 

Papyrus beamed at the question as he paused from his drink. “OH THAT’S SIMPLE. I LOVE TO COOK! ALTHOUGH I CURRENTLY ONLY KNOW HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI… BUT I ASSURE YOU IT IS THE BEST PASTA YOU WILL EVER TASTE. NO ONE CAN COOK SPAGHETTI LIKE THE GREAT PAPYRUS.” Papyrus placed a hand on his chest as he spoke proudly of his cooking prowess.

 

Sans chuckled at Papyrus’s confidents and animated personality. “Would you say any other dishes are… impastas?”

 

Papyrus faltered for a bit. Did he just…? The tall skeleton looked down at Sans ever increasing grin as realization set in. “SANS, THAT WAS TERRIBLE!”

 

Sans let out a good laugh as he held onto the table. Papyrus’s face was priceless. “Aw come on! You loved that joke, you’re smiling!”

 

“I AM AND I HATE IT!”

 

____________________

 

Sans and Papyrus continued to converse and joke around at the bar. As drinks continued to come, they began to open up more and more. In the back of Sans mind he noted how easy it was to talk to Papyrus. He wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol, or the two skeletons just connected that easily, but regardless he was thoroughly enjoying himself. Sans couldn’t help but smile the whole time while hanging out with Papyrus. He learned that Papyrus was in football, but he really wanted to be a chef. The sports was just to carry him through college and made up for his struggle with academics. He also learned that Papyrus was a huge Mettaton fan. I mean who wasn’t, but Papyrus was like a super fan. To Sans, Papyrus was passionate, silly, but over all very cool in his opinion. Sure he seemed a little naïve and sometimes referred to himself in third person, but there was something about the tall skeleton monster that just drew Sans to him. He wanted to hang around with Papyrus more, his presents alone had a soothing affect to Sans soul.

 

Around Papyrus’s third drink, his lightweight alcohol tolerance had him full blown drunk. He stumbled over his words if he spoke too fast causing him to pause for a while to collect himself. During one of his breaks he finally noticed the pounding music playing over the clubs sound system. A new song with a nice beat began to play and it gave Papyrus the best, or worst idea he ever had. He wasn’t sure, he was too drunk to tell.

 

Papyrus stood up from his seat and held out a bony hand to Sans. “COME DANCE WITH ME.”

 

Sans stared at Papyrus’s hand for a while, his permanent blush glowing a brighter blue. With plenty of liquid courage in his system he was able to take hold of Papyrus’s hand and stand up. He put on his best flirty face as he gave Papyrus a wink. “Love to, baby.”

 

Papyrus’s own blush glowed bright orange at the pet name, the sparks of orange and blue magic spread across their phalanges as they held on tight. He led the smaller skeleton back onto the dance floor, close to the group they had left earlier.

 

The others who were still going in their drunk dance circle gave Sans and Papyrus a curious glance as the two joined in. Rus and Red shared a knowing look before going back to their dancing, welcoming Sans and Papyrus in drunken yells and whistles.

 

Sans wasn’t sure if the alcohol made things move more fluidly or the song made him feel that way, but instead of his normal boisterous jumping he opted to sensually sway his hips to the beat of the music.

 

Papyrus didn’t miss a beat, he moved in closer to Sans swaying his frame in sync with the other. The dark ambiance contrasted with the strobes of light caused his vision to move in slow motion. The loud music pounded in his skull and it left a tingly buzz through his bones that were currently warmed from the alcohol. The world began to fade around him and the only thing that mattered was the smaller skeleton dancing in front of him.

 

Without realizing it he grabbed hold of Sans arms and turned the skeleton monster around. Papyrus then closed the space in-between them as he pressed himself to Sans back. Sans breath caught in his nonexistent throat as he felt Papyrus’s frame press against him. He felt the other skeleton’s larger hands slide to his iliac crests, his phalanges gently rubbing the dips of the exposed part of his hip bones. Sans couldn’t suppress the shiver that traveled up his spine. He involuntarily grinded back against Papyrus’s pelvis, earning a delectable moan from the taller skeleton.

 

Stars that sounded amazing.

 

He wanted to hear more.

 

Sans resumed swaying his hips to the beat of the song, but this time keeping himself pressed against Papyrus’s pelvis. Each sway, each turn rubbed into the taller skeleton causing him to pant hotly. Papyrus grabbed Sans hands and ever so slowly guided them up along Sans body. Sans let out a soft breathy moan as he felt his hands rub up against his sensitive ribs. Sure they were his hands and it was over his sweater, but having them be guided by Papyrus almost made it feel like the other skeleton was the one touching him. Slowly Sans arms were raised above his head and he could feel Papyrus’s bony finger tips trailing back down his arms. In his hazed mind he was aware of how close Papyrus’s breath was to his neck. The heat of Papyrus’s pants sent pleasurable waves across every bone in Sans body. Papyrus gently slid his hands back down rubbing and fanning out over Sans ribs, his pelvis gave an experimental grind against Sans.

 

That was it, this was too much.

 

Sans turned around to face Papyrus, his cheeks glowing bright blue and his mouth open letting out soft shallow pants. Upon seeing Sans in such a state something snapped in Papyrus as he wrapped his long arms around the smaller skeleton and pulled him close, pressing his teeth to Sans in a desperate kiss.

 

Sparks of orange and blue magic danced in Sans hazed head. The sensation was indescribable. Sans pressed back eager to keep this feeling as he deepened the kiss. He felt the long wet appendage of Papyrus’s tongue meet his in a dance of their own. He tasted so sweet.

 

Sans hadn’t even realized that Papyrus had picked him up and moved him until he felt himself pressed against the wall of the club. His legs and arms instinctively wrapped around Papyrus, holding onto the taller skeleton as he continued to suck and move his tongue against the others. Papyrus pressed himself tight against Sans and began to grind slowly into him, making the smaller skeleton move up and down the wall in time with his rutting.

 

Sans could feel the familiar pool of magic work down to his pelvis and he felt his pants tent with his hardening eco-cock. The rubbing of fabric was even more torturous now. The friction continued to grow till he felt something hard press against his member. He broke from the intense kiss gasping for air as he glanced down between them. Accompanying his own was the orange glow of Papyrus’s formed cock, pushing against his cargo shorts.

 

Papyrus was in a daze, gazing at Sans as he was pressed against the wall with his blue tongue hanging out, covered in their mixed saliva. Stars he could get used to this sight, seeing Sans come completely undone to him. Fallowing Sans gaze Papyrus looked down and saw that they were both glowing through their shorts, their cocks summoned and ready to go. The sight smacked Papyrus across his face, sobering him up in the heated moment. He was becoming increasingly aware of exactly where they were in public and how they both probably looked.

 

Papyrus began to panic. “I-I AM S-SO SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!” Papyrus gently let Sans down before he nervously stepped back and wrung his hands together. This wasn’t the good first impression he wanted to make. This wasn’t like him at all. He was practically forcing himself on Sans in the middle of the club! Stars what did Sans think of him now? Did he think he was only trying to get into Sans pants? Did he think he was rude? He couldn’t handle Sans staring at him right now. “I’M SO SORRY!” Papyrus quickly turned and ran out of the club, tears brimming his sockets.

 

Papyrus didn’t make it far down the street before he had to grab onto a wall and steady himself. Once outside of the dark pounding club and in the cool night’s fresh air, clarity began to sink in. Tears began to decent his face and drip onto the cold concrete sidewalk.

 

**_‘OH STARS WHAT DID I DO? I WAS TOUCHING HIM… AND HE…’_ **

 

Papyrus clamped a hand over his mouth to silent his sobs. 

 

 Never, not once had he felt a connection as strong as the one he had with Sans. The instant attraction. The calm soothing feeling of his soul pulsing near Papyrus’s. The tiny sparks of magic that would jolt whenever they touched. The laughs they shared. The easy way Papyrus could open up to the smaller skeleton. Papyrus was so happy he had found someone that made him feel so… alive.

 

And here he had just screwed that up. In one day he had found someone that made him feel something he had never felt before and in the same day he ruined it. He drank, lost control of himself, and had done things to Sans. Things that he wasn’t even sure what they were, but he recalled seeing his fellow teammates do them before at parties. He had never done anything like that himself before. Ever. Sure he had touched himself, he knew what that was. But this… was different. His bones still tingled from the sensations.

 

“Papyrus…?”

 

Papyrus shot up straight and turned around spotting Sans standing a few feet away, a confused and concerned look over his features.

 

“SANS! I… I’M SO SORRY. I DIDN’T MEAN TO PUSH YOU AND FORCE MYSELF ON YOU. I’M NOT LIKE THAT, I’M NOT LIKE MY TEAMATES. I’M NOT…” Papyrus couldn’t help his voice from trembling as he tried to hold back his sobs.

 

Sans frowned at seeing Papyrus so upset. He really was so innocent. He thought he was forcing himself on Sans? Well, kind of. But at no point had Sans told him to stop, or even hinted that he didn’t like it. Papyrus… Papyrus really was different. The thought made sans smile softly as he approached the crying skeleton. Ever so gently, Sans tiptoed and reached up, wrapping his arms around Papyrus. Papyrus immediately wrapped his long arms around Sans and leaned into the hug, burring his face in the crook of the smaller skeletons neck as he cried freely.

 

Sans held on tight as he willed his soul to pulse calming, soothing magic. It sought out Papyrus’s soul and the tall skeleton accepted it gratefully. The warm feeling of Sans magic washed over him, allowing him to calm down enough to stop crying. Soon the magic had soothed Papyrus back to normal, yet he remained unmoved, simply holding onto Sans now just to feel the small skeleton in his arms. Sans didn’t mind one bit. He preferred to stay in Papyrus’s strong arms.

 

After a few minutes passed the skeletons reluctantly let go. Papyrus fidgeted with his hands nervously as he looked down at Sans with grateful eyes. “Thank you.”

 

The subdued sound in Papyrus’s voice caught Sans off guard. It held an intimate tone to it. “Papyrus, you don’t need to apologize, or worry yourself. I… liked what we did.” Sans felt his cheeks burning at the confession and he was sure Papyrus could notice the blue glow in the dark streets.

 

“REALLY?”

 

Sans smiled up at Papyrus while rubbing the back of his skull nervously. “Yeah I did… Look I understand we may have gotten carried away in there but… I would really like it if we could keep hanging out together. W-would you like to?”

 

Papyrus’s eyes went huge as they shimmered with hope. “YES, I WOULD LIKE THAT VERY MUCH.”

 

Papyrus smiled bright at Sans with the promise of furthering their companionship, but shivered a little as a gust of cool air blew by. He wasn’t used to being outside without his letterman jacket. And even though he was a skeleton, their magic still allowed them to feel cold. In his drunken roller coaster of emotions he hadn’t realized just how cold he was standing outside in the chill air.

 

Sans noticed the little shiver that ran across Papyrus’s bones. He was used to the cold. Always being in chilled, sterile rooms for experiments made him grow a tolerance for it. Sans thought for a while before an idea came to him. He grabbed the red scarf around his neck and unwound the cloth. Sans then tiptoed back up to Papyrus and wrapped the scarf gently around the taller skeleton’s neck. Papyrus blushed at the thoughtful gesture, his soul swelling with new emotions. Sans tugged on the scarf, pulling Papyrus down till their teeth met in a soft *clank*. This kiss was not like before. It was soft and gentle, yet the sparks of magic between them sent a pleasant shiver running down both their spines. Without lingering too long Sans gently broke the kiss and lowered himself back onto his heals. Both Sans and Papyrus refused to look away as they stared into one another.

 

The sound of the club doors bursting opening broke them out of their spell.

 

Out walked Rus, helping a stumbling Red that clung to him and mumbled about sexy leather pants. The hoody clad skeleton spotted his friend a little ways down the street. At first he was worried when he had spotted Papyrus running out of the club, leaving a flustered and confused Sans still leaning against the wall for support. Rus was just about to go up to his friend and offer support for the obvious rejection, but before he could make it across the dance floor Sans had left the club, running after Papyrus. He smiled softly at seeing the two, both looking quite happy with each other. Whatever that drama was back in the club had obviously been resolved. “Hey Sans, you coming home?” Rus called out as he lifted a drunk Red up into his arms bridle style.

 

“Yeah, just a sec.” Sans turned back to Papyrus and gave a lazy wink. “See you at school?”

 

Papyrus could only nod. His cheeks were burning a bright orange and he was sure if he used his voice it would come out in a squeak.

 

Sans gave one last smile to Papyrus before turning and walking up towards his two friend. Rus who was sure he was the least drunk of the three placed a hand on Sans arm and teleported them back home.

 

Papyrus watched the three skeletons vanish with a *blip*. He smiled as the evenings events all came crashing in on him. Slowly he reached up and clutched the red scarf closer to his face.

 

It smelled like Sans. 


	5. The Start of Something New

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Note: trigger warning in this chapter

 

Rus let out a long yawn, tears pricking at the corner of his eye sockets to emphasize his exhaustion. The weekend was over which meant it was back to endless tests and studying. The small fun excursion at Grilbz didn’t last long enough in the lazy skeleton’s opinion. It didn’t help that Rus, Sans, and Red had to start their thesis experiment. On top of their science classes, the program required students to group up and conduct their own private experiment then report their findings at the end of the program. It was like a final exam that required the students to work on it over the course of several years. The problem was the three of them couldn’t agree on a topic to focus on. Sans wanted to look into the possibility of time travel while Red was interested in creating a way to increase a monsters HP without gaining LV. And Rus, well Rus didn’t care either way. He had an idea of alternate universe theories, but he wasn’t about to fight Sans and Red to push his idea. That required effort.

 

He understood why both the smaller skeletons were so passionate about their ideas. Rus was sure if Sans found a way to time travel he would go back and stop himself from making any mistakes in his life. And if Red found a way to increase his HP, he wouldn’t be so worried about getting dusted anytime he got hurt. Which seemed to happen a lot.

 

The tall skeleton stretched back in his seat letting his joints pop. Rus was tuning in and out of the class discussion about addiction and how over the years it changed from being labeled as devil possession, to people with no will power, to nowadays as an actual disease. Rus didn’t need to listen in on this. Most of what they learned in psychology he already knew thanks to science. It didn’t take a genius to realize there was a chemical reaction in the brain when presented with addictive substances or activity. Just as he said, everything boiled down to the basics. Rus silently chastised himself for picking such a boring elective. The class was completely uneventful.

 

Well… Not entirely.

 

Rus kept his eyes trained on professor Blue who was currently sitting on his desk next to his podium. Blue had his sleeves rolled up and opted for a light blue plaid sweater vest. Professors didn’t have to wear uniforms, but Blue sure looked like he was a student with that outfit. **_‘He probably knits. He looks like a knitter.’_** Rus thought at he kept his lazy stare on the professor. A student made a comment that Blue thought was particularly impressive and Rus watched as the smaller skeleton’s eyes changed into stars. It was adorable. Rus couldn’t help as his cheeks burned orange. He wondered what Blue’s eyes would look like if he was pinned under him, writhing against his touch, moaning his name-

 

Rus smacked his face against the desk. 

   

**_‘Stars this professor is going to be the death of me…’_ **

 

Rus kept his head down and willed his thoughts to come back to reality before his magic had a chance to react. Rus wasn’t going to lie, he was attracted to the small skeleton. He was cute, Rus’ weakness. He was small, catered to Rus’ size kink. And he challenged Rus, which was a welcomed change to his normal boring life. But he was a professor and Rus wasn’t going to kid himself with any delusions of getting in bed with the little blueberry. But damn did he want to.

 

Rus shifted uncomfortably in his seat. Maybe he just needed to get laid. Yeah that’s it. He hadn’t had sex in a while, so his imagination was working overtime. Rus lifted his head to look around the class room. Maybe there was a student here he could fuck?

 

“Okay! Class dismissed! Oh and don’t forget to pick up your tests on the way out. They’ve been graded and are waiting on the desk by the door.” Blue kicked his legs back and forth as he watched students get up and file out of the class. Some groaning when seeing their test scores, some cheering.

 

Rus waited for the majority of students to leave. He wasn’t about to fight the crowed to find his test from the pile of papers, he already knew he passed the test easily. Once the crowed dissipated and there was only a couple of students left, Rus got up and walked to the table. He picked up his test ready to jam it in his backpack and leave until he saw something red catch his eye. There on the top of his test was a giant red F. “What!?” Rus turned on his heal and glared at Professor Blue who was currently looking around the room pretending he didn’t just hear Rus yell.

 

Rus sighed and walked up to Blue, standing right in front of him, waiting for the smaller skeleton to stop pretending and look at him.

 

“Hi Rus! You need something?” Blue smiled as if he was completely unaware.

 

“Why did I get an F?” Rus held up his test with an exasperated look on his face.

 

“Oh that? Yeah you fail for cheating.”

 

“Cheating? Wha-“

 

“Your answers and Jenny’s answers were exactly the same. Didn’t think I’d notice after grading over 100 papers, but I did.” Blue gave a cocky wink.

 

Rus’ cheeks burned orange. He had been so busy with his science classes that he hadn’t bothered studying for the psychology test. He figured the class would be easy, but he hadn’t anticipated his science project would take up so much of his time. He was completely unprepared for Blue’s test. So he did what he had to, he cheated. And Jenny was more than willing to help. Rus saw the way the cute rabbit monster had been staring at him. How she would slowly scoot closer to him as the class day went on. She had seen Rus freeze up during the test and discreetly pushed her paper closer to him, giving a perfect line of sight to her answers. 

 

Rus clenched his jaw as he glared off to the side. He got caught, there was no getting out of this.

 

“Rus, if you’re having trouble with the curriculum I’d be more than happy to help you study one on one.”

 

Rus stiffened at the offer. One on one time with Blue. That sounded kind of nice actually. Rus looked at Blue to see if he was being serious. He was sure the professor was just offering to be nice. He probably didn’t have the time to waste on Rus. 

 

Blue was looking up at Rus with the biggest most sincere eyes. The opportunity for Blue to get close to Rus and really make a difference in this student’s life finally presented itself, and he wasn’t going to miss it.

 

Rus sighed and rubbed the back of his vertebra. He really was a sucker for punishment. “You know, that actually sounds good. I think I could use some one on one help.” Rus was berating himself in the back of his head. Now he was going to be spending alone time with his professor. The same professor he was crushing on. The one who almost made him pop a boner in class.

 

Blue’s eyes morphed into shimmering stars. “That’s great! Let’s start today!”

 

Rus was a little taken back by that. “Today? Like right now?”

 

“Sure, why not? I don’t have any other classes to teach. Do you have any other classes to get to?”

 

“N-no, but-“

 

“Alright then! We can study in my office. Come with me!” Blue gathered up his materials and laptop before heading out of the classroom with new found determination.

 

Rus quietly shook his head, wondering what he was doing to himself. He casually slung his backpack over his shoulder and fallowed after Blue, his long legs making it easy to keep up with the smaller skeleton’s energetic pace.

 

______

 

“Here we are. Go ahead and have a seat anywhere.” Blue opened the door to his office revealing a decent sized room. It wasn’t big, but it was large enough to fit a couch, a desk, and a graciously sized bookshelf. The walls of the room were littered with both inspirational quotes and posters of anime. Off in the corner next to the couch was a small wicker basket that held yarn and knitting needles.

 

Rus couldn’t help but let a smirk spread across his face. He entered the room and plopped down on the couch, keeping his eyes on Blue.

 

Blue walked in and set his papers and laptop on his desk. He then turned and began scanning his bookshelf for something that would help his student. Rus took this opportunity to look over Blue’s frame. His eyes landed on the smaller skeletons hips. His sweater vest and slacks complimented his figure nicely. Right then Blue found the book he was looking for. He got on his tip toes and stretched up to grab it, making his shirt and sweater vest rise which then expose the tops of his iliac crests. Rus had to look away or else he was going to pitch a tent right there in Blue’s office.

 

“Here we are!” Blue handed Rus the book he had picked out. It was a beginner’s guide to psychology.

 

Rus’ face froze as he tried to look passive aside from the nervous sweat drop running down his skull.

 

Great, now Blue probably thought he was a moron having trouble with basic psychology. He wasn’t stupid, Rus was a scientist for crying out loud! He didn’t think this plan through very well. The material was actually quite easy, he just didn’t have the time nor the drive to study. Rus just wanted an excuse to spend time with Blue, but he didn’t want to make himself look like an idiot in the process.

 

“Don’t worry, we’ll work together and soon you’ll become an expert in no time.” Blue smiled brightly, trying to sound supportive.

 

“Hehe… I’m sure…” Rus couldn’t help a little nervousness from seeping into his voice. This was embarrassing. But at least he was going to get some alone time with Blue, which surprisingly made it all worth it.

 

There was an awkward silence for a while and Rus wasn’t sure if he should say anything. He could feel there was a shift in the atmosphere.

 

Just then he felt Blue sit next to him on the couch. Their close proximity sent his nerves on high alert.

 

“I wanted to apologize to you, Rus.” Blue said gently as he leaned back on the couch. “I’ve been thinking a lot about the talk we had… and I understand now that you have different world views than I do. And it’s not right of me to try and force you to change those views. I’m not going to try to make you see the world differently.”

 

Rus froze and stared at Blue confused. Wasn’t this the challenge he had made last week? Why was he saying this all the sudden? Was Blue already giving up on him? Rus looked down at the book in his hands quietly. He wasn’t sure why, but the reality that Blue had already given up on him made his soul feel heavy. Was it something he did? Did he disappoint Blue somehow? Rus mulled over his actions from the past two weeks. Sure he slacked off in class and got caught cheating on his first test, but was that really enough to deter Blue? Why did this bother him so much? Rus glared to himself. No, this didn’t mean anything. Blue never meant what he said before, he was just trying to make conversation and cheer Rus up. He wasn’t actually going to try to keep his word, it was just professor student formalities. This was okay. He was used to disappointment in his life by now. This was no different. Blue was no different.

 

Everyone is the same.

 

Rus chastised himself for letting him get his hopes up. In the back of his mind where he would never admit it, he secretly hoped Blue would be able to prove him wrong. He had hoped someone could restor his faith in people. Damn it! He knew better. He was smarter than this. How many times would it take for him to get it through his skull that people don’t care unless there is something in it for them to gain?

 

Why did he think Blue was different?

 

Why did he even bother hoping?

 

“You have your way that you see the world. I understand that. It’s selfish, people are selfish.” Blue continued, still keeping his voice soft.

 

Rus clenched his jaw making his teeth grind. He knew this. These were his own words. Why did it still hurt hearing them out loud? Rus clenched the book tighter. He could feel his soul getting heavier and it was starting to feel suffocating. He wanted to leave. He didn’t want to be here on the couch listening to this. Not now. Not from Blue.

 

Please, not from Blue.

 

“But,” Blue placed a hand on Rus’, causing the taller skeleton to jump from the contact. “Maybe being around people who see the world differently than you can help make your world seem less bleak.”

 

Rus stared at Blue with a confused look. Where was he getting at with this?

 

“So I was wondering...” Blue struggled to continue, his gaze moving away from Rus and focusing anywhere else in the room. “If you’d like to be friends?”

 

Rus felt his soul pulse in his chest.

 

“And m-maybe by hanging out together, your world can seem that much less selfish. B-because I can assure you I am a most loyal friend! I am anything but selfish!”

 

Blue was too nervous to look at Rus and see his reaction. He knew he was crossing some sort of professor student line, but he couldn’t stop himself. He had to help Rus out. Something in his soul was telling him it was the right thing to do. He could feel his phalanges shake and he hoped that Rus didn’t notice. He wanted to reach out to Rus and help him. That’s why he became a teacher, that’s why he focused on psychology. This was Blue’s purpose in life, to help others. And Rus… Blue wanted to help Rus more than anyone else.

 

After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Blue finally worked up the courage to glance up at Rus.

 

Rus was staring at Blue with an unreadable expression.

 

Rus wasn’t sure what to think. He was preparing himself for disappointment. He was sure Blue had given up on him. Every experience in Rus’ history pointed that Blue would be no different. Blue was supposed to give up on him like everyone else.

 

But he didn’t.

 

Here Blue sat, offering his companionship regardless of Rus’ depressing viewpoints of people. Here he sat, defying the pattern of selfishness and abandonment that plagued Rus’ life. Here Blue sat, right next to him, by his side, holding his hand.

 

Rus wasn’t sure what came over him, but within seconds he leaned down and enveloped the small skeleton in a tight embrace.

 

Blue let out a small squeak upon being hugged. Did this mean Rus accepted his friendship? Blue wasn’t sure why but he felt nervous. It was like chasing after Fell all over again, trying to get a cool tall skeleton monster to return your friendship. As if hearing Blue’s thoughts, Rus tightened his hold around Blue, giving him all the assurance he needed. Blue smiled and buried his face into Rus’ hoodie. It smelled like smoke and honey, and another distinct earthy smell that Blue could only describe as Rus.

 

The two broke the hug wordlessly. Nothing else need be said about the issue. Blue was going to do his best to be a bright part of Rus’ life, and hopefully little by little, Blue would be able to pull Rus out of the darkness.

 

“Okay! Let’s get started!” Blue opened the book in Rus’ lap and began pointing out key terms that he figured gave Rus the hardest time. He knew the tall skeleton was smarter than he led on, but if faking one on one tutoring gave him the opportunity to spend time with his new friend, then he was happy to do it.

 

______________________

 

Sans placed the small container of leftover chili in his messenger bag carefully. He kept his eyes trained down as his friends Asriel and Frisk chatted away behind him. The week had finally gone by and Sans was exhausted. The science program was starting to kick up in their second year and there was more work than he anticipated. He didn’t even have time to pull his usual jokes in the lab. He was sure both Rus and Red were just as tired as he was. The work load was starting to wear on him mentally. It didn’t help the fact that Papyrus had been missing all week. Sans glanced over at the empty seat next to him. In fact all the jocks were missing. Sans looked around the room and noted quite a few students were missing. It was safe to assume there was some sort of sporting event that the athletes had to attend.

 

This realization didn’t help much. Sans was nervous to meet Papyrus after their outing at Grilbz. The anticipation of seeing the tall skeleton after their heated night had Sans on edge. He wanted to know how Papyrus felt about him. Did he want to stay as friends, or did he want to further things into a relationship? Did Papyrus even date? Would he even consider dating Sans who wasn’t an athlete, or even in the same social circle as the jock skeleton? Sans sighed as he pulled out his headphones. When in doubt, drown your thoughts out with music.

 

Sans said a quick farewell to Frisk and Asriel before he put his blue headphones on and headed out of class.

 

The small skeleton made his way across campus, deciding to take the long way home instead of teleporting. He looked around at the buildings as he passed them by. As he left the arts center it was easy to notice how the buildings became more and more bland. Sans was surprised how quickly he had come to prefer the bright creative walls of the arts buildings.

 

As Sans made it towards the edge of the campus the sounds of boisterous yelling overpowered the music blasting in Sans skull. He looked up and saw a buss had stopped in front of the campus. Out pored several dozen football players, all jumping around and yelling full of energy. A football was being tossed back and forth among the crowed. Sans glared at the hyperactive activity and went out of his way to give the jocks their space, not wanting to be caught up in the roughhousing. As Sans took a wide detour from the group a small smile began to creep on his face. So the jocks were back from their trip. That meant Papyrus should be back next class. The thought sent butterfly’s through Sans soul. He wondered if the taller skeleton would be happy to see him. Would he have missed Sans in his absence? Sans shook his head. He was starting to sound like a clingy teenage girl. He huffed and continued to lose himself in his music. No reason to obsess over questions that he couldn’t answer.  

 

“L-ut…”

 

“Hey ki-…”

 

“Mov-…”

 

“Look out!”

 

Sans finally heard through the loud beats pumping out of his headphones. As soon as Sans looked towards the direction of the yelling he saw a football heading straight for him, the trajectory aimed right at his skull.

 

Sans froze. He didn’t have enough time to call on his magic. All he could do was shut his eyes and brace for impact.

 

…

 

Nothing.

 

Sans slowly opened his eyes, curious if maybe the ball had missed. His sockets widened when he saw a still football an inch from his face.

 

“SANS ARE YOU ALRIGHT?”

 

Sans could feel his soul flutter more at the voice than the fact that a football almost took his 1 hp. He tilted his head back and Saw Papyrus towering over him, his arms outstretched holding the football that was a mere inch from his face.

 

“Papyrus…” Sans could feel his cheek bones warming.

 

Papyrus set the football down as he walked over to stand in front of Sans and began inspecting the smaller skeleton for injuries. “LOOKS LIKE I CAUGHT IT JUST IN TIME. THERE SEEMS TO BE NO HARM DONE.”

 

Sans finally snapped out of his daze and scratched at his burning blue cheek. “Yeah, thanks for that you really saved my skin.”

 

Papyrus gave Sans an annoyed look even though he was biting back a chuckle. He sighed trying not to give Sans the satisfaction he was looking for. “I’M ACTUALLY GLAD I RAN INTO YOU. I DIDN’T THINK WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MEET TILL NEXT WEEK.”

 

Sans couldn’t help but smile when hearing that. “I’m glad I ran into you too. Culinary has been boring without ya. Where you been?”

 

“WE HAD A PRESEASON GAME TO ATTEND. THE TRIP TOOK LONGER THAN WE ANTICIPATED.

 

“Oh, well it’s glad to have you back.”

 

Papyrus blushed. “HAVE I MISSED MUCH IN CLASS?”

 

“Nah, we haven’t done too much yet. Today we learned how to make chili, but that’s about it. It’s only been small stuff.”

 

“DRATS! THESE FOOTBALL GAMES ARE INTERFERING WITH MY COOKING LESSONS. HOW AM I EVER TO BECOME A TRUE MASTER CHEF IF I KEEP MISSING THE BASICS?” Papyrus looked down, legitimately upset over missing several classes.

 

“Hey no worries. If you want I can show you the stuff you’ve missed. It’s not that hard, I’m sure the two of us can handle cooking outside of class.” Sans offered as he placed a reassuring hand on Papyrus’s shoulder.

 

“REALLY?!” Papyrus looked at Sans with his trademark shimmering eyes.

 

“Of course. Don’t want you falling behind. Why don’t you come to my place tomorrow and well spend the day cooking?”

 

“YOUR PLACE TOMORROW… AS IN A DATE?” Papyrus’s face began to glow and even brighter orange.

 

“W-well I mean, uh… yes?” Sans nervously confirmed. Honestly he hadn’t meant it as a date, but he wouldn’t dare reject Papyrus. Maybe the taller skeleton was just as hopeful to further their relationship as he was.

 

“I WOULD LOVE TO!” Papyrus smiled bright. Stars Sans had missed that face this week. “HERE, I WILL GIVE YOU MY NUMBER, TEXT ME YOUR ADDRESS AND TIME TO ARRIVE.” Papyrus zipped open his Letterman jacket to receive a pen he held in one of the inside pockets. When Papyrus opened his jacket Sans could see the familiar red cloth of his scarf wrapped around Papyrus’s neck. Sans soul fluttered at the sight. He wasn’t going to say anything. He wanted Papyrus to keep the scarf, it looked good on him.

 

Papyrus grabbed Sans hand and wrote down his number. Sans stared at his bony hand for a while, his cheeks burning a brighter cyan.

 

“SEE YOU TOMORROW?” Papyrus asked with the same tone he did when questioning if he would see Sans at Grilbz.

 

“See you tomorrow.” Sans confirmed, this time much more sure than the last.

 

Papyrus beamed as he picked up the forgotten football and headed back to his teammates.

 

Sans watched Papyrus leave and he felt his energy rejuvenate with new hope and excitement. Was this technically their first or second date? Did this mean he and papyrus were officially dating? Sans wasn’t entirely sure what their label was, and honestly it didn’t matter. All that mattered was he was going to spend time with Papyrus tomorrow.

 

Sans decided to teleport the rest of the way home. For once he had some cleaning to do.

 

Just a little bit.

 

_______________________

 

Red sat still, his eyes still focused on his book as the rest of the students began to chatter and file out of the literature class. Red made no attempt to move. He didn’t want to leave the classroom. The week was over and Red’s roommate would be coming back from his football game. It had been a nice week for once. After Red spent a few nights at Rus and Sans’ place, he was pleasantly surprised to find his apartment empty. A quick check of the football teams schedule showed that they would be away for preseason practice games all week. Red could finally sit in his own living room and relax outside the 4 walls that made up his bedroom. His roommate normally took up the space of the whole apartment. There was on average at least 3 people over at all times. Either a small party going on, or a rather loud sex. Both of which Red tried to avoid as much as possible. Red was grateful for the small vacation, it couldn’t have come at a better time. Things in the science program were kicking up and work was starting to pile on. Red wasn’t sure how he was going to handle the stress of everything once his roommate returned. The small skeleton pulled out another one of his text books deciding he would do his homework here before heading home.

 

As the rest of the students finally left the classroom, Fell began to look over his own papers. He figured he could quickly grade these pop quizzes before heading home, no reason to take a trip to his office. Fell began to scribble down remarks as he scanned through each quiz, telling students exactly where they fucked up and why they were wrong. He was completely engrossed in his work.

 

The sounds of shuffling papers that were not his own caught Fells attention. He looked up as if finally noticing Red was still in the classroom.

 

Fell watched the smaller skeleton monster as he hunched over several open text books. It was peculiar to see a student still in the classroom. Most students feared Fell and tried to leave class as soon as possible in order to distant themselves from the edgy professor. Yet here the small gruff looking skeleton sat, completely unfazed by Fells presents.

 

Did this student want something? Fell recalled how he would occasionally catch the smaller skeleton monster staring at him in class. In particular, staring at his back side. He noted the way Red would avert his eyes and blush whenever Fell caught him staring.

 

So that’s his game. He has a teacher fetish and is looking for some after school special.

 

Fell let his thin classes slide down his skull a bit as he looked over the small skeleton. He looked rough just like Fell. He could probably handle a lot more than Blue. A wide smirk spread across Fells sharp teeth.

 

Red finally paused from his homework after feeling eyes on him. He looked up and saw Fell staring right at him. Red’s nerves immediately shot up and his anxiety kicked in. Oh no, was him being here upsetting Fell? He never even bothered to ask the professor if he could use the classroom as a place to study. Fell probably had work to do and he was being an annoying distraction. He just wanted to be around the professor. He liked being near Fell, being near someone like him. “Y-yes professor Fell?” Red was ready to book it out of the room if Fell told him to leave.

 

“I know what you’re trying to do.” Fell began, “Lucky for you I decided I’ll take part in your little game.”

 

“My what?” Red could feel sweat dripping down his skull. What was Fell talking about? What game?

 

Wait. Did Fell know Red didn’t want to go home? Was that it?

 

Fell leaned back in his leather chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “Come here.” he demanded. Soddenly his voice had a darker more dominant tone to it.

 

Red felt a shiver run up his spine as he swallowed hard. Something about this situation suddenly made the air feel electric. Either way, Red didn’t want to upset Fell, so he did as commanded and got up from his seat and made his way to Fells desk. “Y-yes sir?”

 

In an instant Fell was on Red. He pushed the small skeleton onto his desk and yanked on Red’s uniform tie, choking him in the process. “You can call me master.”

 

Red felt his soul pounding fast in his chest. His mind was spinning. What was going on?

 

Fell leaned down so his skull was right next to Red’s. Red could feel Fell’s free hand working the button and zipper to his school slacks. “I must warn you… I’m more rough than most.” Fells hot breath sent shivers down Red’s spine. The small skeleton couldn’t stop his bones from trembling. He was hyper aware of Fells body pressed against his. His bones burned at the sensation of being touched by another.

 

Fell let go of the tie and Red gasped in the air he didn’t know he so desperately needed. The taller skeleton then removed the tie completely, taking the cloth in one hand and both of Red’s bony hands in the other. Fell tied Reds hands together with the tie and pulled back until Red’s arms were stretched above his head, making his back arch to try and give the cloth some slack. Red’s voice failed him. He wanted to tell Fell to stop, but his anxiety cut off all forms of communication. His soul pounded hard in his chest. Even though he was no longer being choked by the tie, he felt like he couldn’t breathe.

 

With one swift pull, Red’s pants were off. He shivered feeling the cool air hit his exposed bones. Fell’s free hand slowly ran its way up Red’s body, his fingers dancing across his ribs and sternum making his shirt and sweater vest rise with it. Red gasped and a squeak finally left his mouth, the only sound he could verbalize at the moment.

 

“Your master will give you what you want, but you have to be quiet. You don’t want anyone to hear you and walk in on us.” Fell snickered as he pushed the bunched up sweater vest into Red’s mouth in a makeshift gag.

 

Red couldn’t stop his bones from rattling as Fell gazed over his exposed body.

 

**_‘No! Stop! Please stop!’_ **

 

Red was screaming in his head but the only thing that came out was muffled whimpers.

 

Fell took Red’s whimpering as a sign that he was ready for more. Securing the end of the tie to one of his desk’s legs Fell now had both hands free to torture his new pet. He leaned down and traced his hands across Red’s ribs, his sharp fingers wrapping around each floating bone and giving an experimental tug. Red began to whimper louder at the painful tugging. Once Fell reached his two bottom ribs he let out a choked moan.

 

What was that?

 

Fell smirked as he found the more sensitive spots on Red’s body. He began to gently stroke the bottom ribs eliciting more delicious moans from Red’s gagged mouth. Red could feel his magic responding to the touches. His bones began to feel warm with stimulation.

 

Fell didn’t give Red time to relax as he leaned down and bit hard the sensitive rib he was just rubbing. Red screamed against his sweater vest and pulled at the tie which had his arms taut above his head. Fell continued to bite over every sensitive bone he found while fondling Red’s body, replacing the once gentle touches with piercing bite marks. His bones began to secrete marrow.

 

Once fell was done with the ribs he moved down Red’s body, trailing his tongue across each ridge of the smaller skeleton’s spine. Red felt dizzy. The mix of painful and pleasurable touches was making the room spin. His senses heightened by his crippling anxiety. At this time Fell trailed a sharp finger down Red’s sacrum, scratching the bone on the way down. Tears pooled at the corner of Red’s sockets. With his other hand Fell began to rub Red’s pubic arch roughly.

 

Red was panting hard, but the gag felt like it was suffocating him. The lack of air only caused his senses to heighten.

 

It didn’t take long for the touches to cause Red’s magic to pool at his pelvis, his red cock materializing, the tip already dripping with over-stimulation.

 

Fell gave a hum of approval.

 

He stopped all his touches and stood straight as he admired his work. Red lay tied up on Fells desk, a deep crimson blush burning his skull. His chest rising and falling with his rapid breaths. His cock erect and begging to be touched.

 

Fell decided Red had it easy for too long. While he kept eye contact with Red, Fell reached down and began to unbuckle his belt. Slowly he slid the leather accessory off his pants and folded it, making a quick snap as he tested out the material.

 

Red’s sockets widened.

 

Fell didn’t have his usual toys on hand but he figured he would just have to get creative. He set the belt on the table next to Red before reaching down and grabbing his erect cock harshly. Quickly he began to jerk the smaller skeleton off.

 

Red let out a long moan at the sensation. The quick motions were overstimulating and rough. It was a confusing mix of pain and pleasure. Either way it was building Red’s orgasm fast. But before he knew it, the hand was gone. Red let his head fall back into the desk as he tried to reel his thoughts back to reality. His mind was in a haze, everything was happening so fast.

 

Suddenly Red felt the head of his cock being squeezed and a sharp pain shot through him as he felt something enter his urethra.

 

“Mmmf!!” Red shot his head back up to see Fell slowly pushing a pen into the slit of his dick. It hurt! Stars did it hurt! Slowly, inch by inch, Fell pushed the pen most of the way in, only leaving the tip sticking out. Tears were now freely streaming down Red’s cheeks. Fell gave a smirk of satisfaction and slowly dragged his tongue up Red’s twitching member. Red’s body trembled. His senses were alight, he was being thrown back and forth from pain to pleasure.

 

“Now time for me to have some fun.” Fell grabbed the discarded belt and gave it yet another snap.

 

Red whimpered as his breaths became short and shallow. He was hyperventilating. He shut his eyes tight waiting for more pain to come. This whole situation was wrong. He shouldn’t be here. This shouldn’t be happening.

 

“Shh… Breathe…”

 

Red felt Fell gently caress his skull. The soft tone along with the gentle touches somehow managed to get through Red’s panicked state. Red tried focusing on slowing his breathing by breathing in and out through his nose hole. He heard Fell mimic slow deep breaths and he copied the taller skeleton. Slowly, ever so slowly, his panic attack subsided.

 

“Good boy.” Fell praised.

 

Red felt in that moment that maybe everything wasn’t so bad. Fell was being nice to him. Maybe he would untie him and they would forget this whole thing.

 

*SMACK*

 

A searing pain shot across Red’s ribs as he screamed against the gag. Fell brought the belt down again this time whipping Red across his femurs.

 

“Mmmh!!!” Red writhed against the pain. His jostling caused his cock to bob reminding him of the pen still stuck inside him.

 

“That’s it. You’re doing so well.” A whip across his sternum, his rubs again, his spine, then finally across his pelvis.

 

Red’s eye lights went out as he stared into the darkness. His whole body buzzed with stinging pain. He was sure his HP had gone down. Not enough to kill him, unfortunately. In Red’s zoned out state he could vaguely make out the sound of Fells zipper being pulled down. Before he could even look up to confirm his suspicions he felt Fell’s hard member ram into his conjured entrance below his cock.

 

“M-mmm…”  Red felt fresh tears stream down his cheeks. Fell was big and was stretching him out painfully. He could feel Fell’s cock throb flush against his tight walls.

 

Fell didn’t wait for Red to relax, he began a quick pace fucking Red’s entrance fast and hard.

 

Red’s body rocked against the table. Fell leaned over, grunting softly as he took Red right there in the classroom. After a while Red was able to force himself to relax against the pounding member. Slowly his moans became less pained. His bones began to warm up as pleasure radiated from his pelvis. Red was starting to get used to the rhythm of Fells thrusts and even began bucking his hips in time to meet Fell’s.

 

“That’s it, such a good boy. Take it.” Fell began to thrust harder, rocking Red’s body more. Red couldn’t stop the moans that escaped his mouth. Now he was glad he was gagged, or else he was sure someone were to hear him.

 

Both Fell and Red were panting hard. Red could feel the familiar pool of pleasure building at his lower region and he invulnerably squeezed Fell’s member inside him.

 

Fell gave a breathy laugh. “Close are we? What makes you think you’re going to cum?” Fell reached between them and poked the pen sticking out of Red’s urethra. The action caused Red to scream out in pleasure. Wait, pleasure? This felt good? Acting upon Red’s reaction, Fell grabbed Red’s swollen cock and began stoking him swiftly.

 

Red’s eyes rolled back in his sockets as he moaned uncontrollably, his bones shaking with the new overwhelming sensations. Fell began to thrust into Red faster, his movements becoming more erratic. “If you want to cum you’re going to have to beg for it.” Fell panted out, his own orgasm quickly approaching. He gripped Red’s hip with his other hand and started pulling Red into his thrusts, his cock ramming deeper into Red’s magic.

 

Red could feel his climax just on the precipice. He wanted to cum so badly but the pen was blocking it from happening. It felt like he was constantly teetering on the edge. Tears of frustration leaked from his sockets. He wanted this. No he needed this.

 

“Mmmh! Mph! Mmm!”

 

“What was that?” Fell pulled the sweater vest from Red’s mouth, a trail of crimson saliva dribbled down the small skeletons chin.  

 

“P-please! Let me cum!” Red panted.

 

“Address me properly.” Fell ordered with his darker tone, still thrusting harshly into Red.

 

Red blushed even brighter if that was possible. Could he really do this?

 

Fell have a few sharp tugs at Red’s swollen erection causing the smaller skeleton to cry out.

 

“Please master let me cum!”

 

“Good boy.” Fell leaned down and captured Red’s mouth in a deep kiss, rewarding his pet.

 

Fell started pounding into Red relentlessly, his hand still jerking Red off in between them. Red rocked harder against the desk, no longer pulling at his restraints, fully welcoming this. “Yes yes right there!” Red moaned as Fell hit his sweet spot in the back again and again. With a few more harsh thrusts Fell grunted as he leaned over Red and shot his cum deep inside the small skeleton. Red shivered as he could feel Fells hot magic fill him up. Just then Fell pulled the pen out of Red’s urethra and his orgasm finally hit. Red cried out as he came freely, his magic squirting up and coating his face and ribs.

 

Both skeletons stayed still as they panted, coming down from their high. Red’s mind reeled with everything that just happened.

 

Red felt Fell’s tongue slowly slide up his cheek. He looked up at Fell with half lidded eyes and saw that Fell had licked off his cum that had reached his face. With a satisfied smirk fell looked over his new pet with pride. “You’re mine now.”

 

Red slowly nodded, his mind numb with both pain and unbelievable pleasure.

 


	6. Free Falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please Note: Trigger warning at beginning of chapter.

 

Red laid still on the desk long after Fell had left the classroom. The taller skeleton had untied Red’s hands and let him know that he would expect Red after class from now on, unless told otherwise. He vaguely recalled seeing Fell fish Red’s phone from his discarded pants and type something before placing the device back in one of his pockets. He wasn’t sure what he was saying as he typed, Fell’s mouth was moving but all Red could hear was deafening silence with a soft high pitched ringing. After that things kept fading in and out of blackness until he heard Fell leave, closing the door to the classroom harshly. Red made no attempt to move as he stared up at the ceiling with hallowed eyes. His whole body continued to buzz with pain as his bones simultaneously warmed with the aftershocks of his orgasm.

 

The sound of the clock in the classroom ticked away.

 

Red laid motionless as he listened to the ticking.

 

Outside the classroom Red heard the sound of doors opening and closing, probably a teacher leaving their class for the day.

 

Slowly Red peeled himself off the table. His bones popped from laying still in such a painful position for too long. Red kept his blank gaze forward, never once looking down. He didn’t need to look at himself to know that he was covered in both his and Fell’s magic. He reeked of sex. Like a robot Red meticulously redressed himself. He then gathered his forgotten textbooks and homework, packing them into his book bag. Quietly, still with dark eye sockets, Red teleported home.

 

_____________

 

Red teleported right in his room not even bothering to use the front door. The sound of loud music pounded through the apartment indicating that his roommate was home. Red dropped his book bag unceremoniously on the ground and exited his room, quickly making his way to the bathroom down the hall. Once inside Red leaned against the door and locked it. He stayed like this for a while, unable to move.

 

After some time passed Red forced himself to walk over to the shower. He turned on the water and adjusted the temperature to as hot as it could go. Red watched the water poor from the shower head with his blank stare. He removed his school uniform and stepped into the shower letting the scolding water wash over his bones. Red finally looked down at his body as he watched the residue of his and Fell’s magic wash from his bones and slip down the drain.

 

His eye lights finally returned as tears pricked the corners of his eye sockets.

 

His bones still tingled. He could still remember Fell’s voice. He could still remember the feel of every whip. Every bite. Every touch. Every stroke. Every thrust…

 

Red covered his mouth with his hand as he tried to hold back a sob. He placed one hand against the shower wall for support as his bones shook.

 

It had all felt…

 

So good.

 

Red couldn’t hold back his tears of frustration any longer. He let go of all the emotions he had been holding in. What was wrong with him? He enjoyed what Fell did to him, actually enjoyed it. His whole life he had been beaten by strangers and families alike. He had been abused, berated, and cased aside like he was garbage. Red had tried so hard to overcome his past. He desperately tried to ignore the voices of others telling him he was useless, telling him he was scum. He battled the darkness of depression every day that was caused by the abuse from his foster families. He fought so hard. And here he was, getting off to abuse. Was Red sick? Was he that fucked up that he had created some sort of subconscious kink to pain in order to handle all the abuse? What was wrong with him?

 

Red’s body finally gave way to the exhaustion as he slid down to the floor of the shower.

 

He reached up and tried to turn the temperature up, but it wouldn’t rise any further. Red growled in frustration. The water wasn’t hot enough. It couldn’t wash away the memory. Red didn’t want to enjoy pain. He didn’t want to be like this. He wished he could go back in time and keep himself from unearthing his disgusting fetish. Why couldn’t he be normal?

 

He was pathetic.

 

He was disgusting.

 

…

 

He deserved this.

 

Red wasn’t sure how long he stayed on the floor of the shower, but it was apparently long enough to annoy his roommate. There was a pounding on the door and Red could hear his roommate over the hiss of the shower.

 

“Stop hogging up the bathroom! Can’t have a shower sex if you don’t get the fuck out!”

 

Red could hear the giggling of a girl behind the door as well. His roommate’s one night stand presumably.

 

With strength that Red didn’t know he had, he was able to pull himself off the shower floor. With a grumble he turned the shower off and grabbed a towel as he began drying his bones. He just wanted time alone, was that too much to ask? Red heard more pounding on the door and his anger began to boil. He quickly grabbed his clothes, and unlocked the door before teleporting to his room. “The bathroom’s open! - you piece of shit.” Red mumbled the last part as he put on his night clothes; grey sweatpants and a red t-shirt.

 

Red sighed as he pushed his boney hands against his eye sockets. Maybe his roommate would pass out after sex and Red could get some sleep tonight. Heavens knows he needed the rest after the day he had.

 

Suddenly there was yelling in the hallway. Red could vaguely hear the girl from before yell something along the line of ‘fuck this’ before he heard the front door open and slam shut.

 

Heh, struck out. Serves that ass hole right.

 

Before Red could enjoy the situation any further his door was violently kicked open. Red jumped, startled at the sudden intrusion. Even if the door had been locked he was sure that kick would have broken it anyway. “What the fuck!?” Red’s eye blazed with magic, his anger quickly resurfacing after the shock died down.

 

“You mother fucker! You used up all the hot water on purpose!” In stepped his roommate, Doggo. He reeked of alcohol and his expression showed that he was not a happy drunk. “That bitch left because of it!”

 

“Fuck you, I didn’t use it up on purpose! Besides, your sex life isn’t my problem. Go complain about not getting laid else were.” Red waved his hand hoping the dismissive attitude would be enough to send Doggo away, but his roommate was too fired up.

 

“You good for nothing piece of SHIT!” Doggo emphasized his last word with a strong right hook to Red’s face. The small skeleton stumbled back till he hit the wall, his hand coming up to nurse his quickly bruising cheek. With a wave of his free hand Red shakily summoned a row of bones and flew them at Doggo. The dog monster skillfully dodged the attack and was up in Red’s face in seconds. Without hesitation Doggo punched Red in the spine causing the skeleton to keel over onto the floor. Doggo’s strength was impressive. His football training made sure he was in fit physical condition. His magic skills weren’t the best, but who needed magic attacks when your fists did just as much damage if not more. “Learn your fucking place!” Doggo kicked at Red’s ribs in between each word. All Red could do was curl up and try to shield himself from the onslaught of attacks.

 

Normally Red would have teleported away by now, but his emotions were still all over the place from the events of today and his recent emotional breakdown. He couldn’t steady his magic enough.

 

Once Doggo felt he had made his point he stopped his kicks. He looked down at the shaking skeleton and gave a huff of disproval. “Worthless piece of shit.” Doggo spat on Red before turning and walking out of the room. His footsteps faded and the door closing to Doggo’s own room indicated that he was finally done for the evening.

 

Red’s body shook as he laid put on the floor. His throat burned and his chest felt tight as Doggo’s words repeated in the back of his head. He was worthless. He was good for nothing. All of his foster families had thought so. His roommate thought so. He thought so. Red summoned his tongue just so he could bite down on the appendage. He wasn’t going to let himself cry.

 

**_‘I’m pathetic.’_ **

****

**_‘I’m disgusting.’_ **

****

**_‘I deserve this.’_ **

****

Normally Red would scrap and fight back. Normally he would at least cuss Doggo out. But not now. Right now he just wanted to lay on the floor and go to sleep. He didn’t have the strength to fight back anymore.

 

Red flinched in pain. He was sure at least two of his ribs were broken. This had been one of the worst beatings yet. Well at least from his roommate. He had gone through worse in the past.  

 

Red wondered if he should text Rus or Sans. Maybe they could come pick him up? He could sleep on their couch. Red raised a shaky arm towards his discarded school pants where his phone still resided. His hand froze.

 

No.

 

He couldn’t bother his only friends with this. It was bad enough they knew Red got his ass kicked from time to time. If they saw him like this… He was pretty sure the two would go after Doggo in retaliation. He was positive at least Rus would. He had seen the look on Rus’ face whenever he would tend to Red’s wounds. The way the taller skeleton’s voice darkened to dangerous levels when speaking about Red’s roommate. Rus was like the protective older brother. Sans was too at times, but Rus didn’t have 1 HP like him and Sans. Rus could take Doggo on in a battle. His friends would probably risk everything, their education, their reputation, they would risk it all for Red. He couldn’t let that happen. He couldn’t risk them getting in a fight and getting expelled. The school had already made it abundantly clear they cared more about their star quarterback than a few science geeks.

Red sighed and dragged his body to his bed and slid under the sheets.

 

He didn’t have the strength to fight Doggo.

 

He didn’t have the strength to hold back the darkness that enveloped him.

 

He was just too tired.

 

____________________________

 

Sans looked around the apartment as he straightened a few things here and there. The place looked pretty clean. He surprised even himself. Although if anyone were to walk in the hallway closet they would find the entire mess from the apartment expertly stashed away. So what if he didn’t really clean so much as shoved the mess out of sight? It was still a commendable effort. Work smart not hard, Sans nodded to himself as he stood tall.

 

Rus exited his room with a lit cigarette between his teeth. He looked around the apartment with raised brow bones. “You actually cleaned.”

 

“Yeah I did. Just… don’t open the closet door.” Sans said nervously while still standing with pride.

 

“Oh so you ‘cleaned’ then.” Rus chuckled at his friend. Sans will be Sans after all. Good to see this Papyrus guy wasn’t making him change.

 

Before either of them could say anything else, a knocking at the door indicated that Papyrus had arrived. Sans smiled and headed to the door. Rus decided to lounge on the couch and watch TV. The date had been kind of sudden and Rus didn’t have time to make plans elsewhere, so Sans and Papyrus would just have to deal with Rus hanging around. He knew better than to really intrude on the two, so he fully intended to stay quiet and out of their hair (heh) while they cooked and hung out. Rus wasn’t trying to cock block Sans anymore. After seeing the way this new skeleton made Sans so happy he wasn’t as worried about his friend getting his heart broken.

 

Sans opened the door and his smile widened seeing Papyrus standing there holding a brown grocery bag. The taller skeleton was in a casual t-shirt and cargo pants, the red scarf wrapped around his neck. The sight made Sans soul pulse happily. He also noted that across the front of Papyrus’s shirt said ‘Cool Dude’. It made Sans chuckle to himself. Papyrus was indeed a cool dude.

“GREETINGS SANS! I HAVE BROUGHT THE COOKING SUPPLIES!” The taller skeleton couldn’t resist a little nyeh of excitement.

 

“That’s great, come on in.” Sans took the bag from Papyrus’s arms and led the other skeleton inside the small two bedroom apartment. He placed the bag in the kitchen as Papyrus looked around. Everything seemed normal. The apartment wasn’t over or under furnished. The smell of cigarette smoke wafting from the living room caught the taller skeleton’s attention.

 

Papyrus spotted Rus sitting on the couch and walked over to the living room to greet the other skeleton. “WHY HELLO THERE. I DON’T BELIEVE WE’VE OFFICIALLY MET. I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! PLEASURE TO MAKE YOUR AQUANTENCE.” Papyrus wasn’t sure whether to extend a hand to shake or not. He remembered seeing this other skeleton with Sans at the club, but he wasn’t sure who he was exactly. He assumed this other skeleton was just a friend. He never got around to asking Sans, and if he was honest with himself he wasn’t sure if he was in a position in the relationship to be asking these things yet. He would definitely have to refer back to his dating app for answers. This was still all very new to him.

 

Rus made no move to get up from the couch to greet Papyrus, so he simply waved lazily from his spot. “Hey there. I think we met at Grilbz, but never got a chance to talk. Name’s Rus. Sans roommate, best friend, and soul mate.” Rus wiggled his brow bones at the last remark. It got the exact reaction out of Papyrus he was looking for. The jock skeleton flinched and his face looked that of complete devastation.

 

“Rus!” Sans walked up to the two and upon seeing Papyrus’s face immediately shot Rus a warning look.

 

The hoodie clad skeleton scratched the back of his skull nervously. Sans was going to kill him for that one for sure. “I’m kidding. We’re just friends. Was just pulling your funny bone.”

 

“OH!” Papyrus gave a small sigh of relief he hoped no one else noticed.

 

Sans noticed.

 

The small skeleton looked Papyrus over with a light blue blush. It was a strange concept to Sans to have someone actually care about being with him. It made his soul feel lighter.

 

“What do you say we start cooking?” Sans offered while trying to focus back on the date.

 

“SOUNDS WONDERFUL! LET US BEGIN!” Papyrus followed Sans back into the kitchen. They chatted away as they got out the supplies. The two of them were going over the previous culinary lesion on how to cook chili. Sans felt confident that he could teach Papyrus, and Papyrus was simply eager to learn. The two continued their conversation as they chopped the ingredients, and Sans was sure to throw in a pun at every chance he got. He smiled victoriously once Papyrus finally broke down and laughed at one of his tomatoes jokes.

 

Sans listened to Papyrus’s laugh and noticed that he loved the sound of the taller skeletons genuine laughter. He decided right then and there that he would make it his goal to get Papyrus to laugh more. He just liked seeing the other skeleton happy. It suited him.

 

The two continued to work together chopping up ingredients and adding them all to the pot. Papyrus was careful to note every detail and step. It felt amazing to share his love for cooking with someone else. As they worked Papyrus talked about the recent preseason games that the football team had gone to and Sans listened carefully, asking questions periodically. Papyrus felt his cheeks glowing as he continued to talk with Sans. It was just so easy to open up and be himself around the smaller skeleton. The soft hum of his soul confirmed his thoughts, he really enjoyed being around Sans.

 

Papyrus asked about Sans’s classes and Sans explained that he and his friends had started their thesis experiment in science. Sans listed off the possible topics they could be focusing on, his face lighting up as soon as he started explaining the different theories and possible experiments. Papyrus tried his best to follow along but most of what Sans was talking about was going way over his head. Still, he was just happy to see Sans so excited about something. Papyrus noted Sans had a tendency to use hand gestures the more excited he got about a topic. The taller skeleton couldn’t help but smile, Sans was pretty cute when he got like this.

 

Once all the ingredients were added to the pot, Papyrus set the pan on the stove. “HOW HOT SHOULD WE TURN THE STOVE UP TO?” Papyrus asked as he set the temperature as high as it could go. The tomatoes and sauce beginning to bubble.

 

“Uh medium heat if I remember correctly.” Sans was focusing on seasoning the meat.

 

Papyrus was about to turn the stove down when his eyes caught onto Sans. The smaller skeleton looked much more determined and serious when focusing on a task. It was like night and day between his normal playful personality. Papyrus couldn’t help but admire the way Sans had so much passion when he really set his mind to something. His soul began to pulse the more he stared at Sans.

 

Without saying anything, Papyrus stepped over to Sans and wrapped his arms around the smaller skeleton. He then leaned down and rested his chin on Sans shoulder. Sans stilled at the contact, his face burning cyan now. “Papy-“ His voice was cut off by the soft *clank* of Papyrus teeth giving Sans cheek a gentle skeleton kiss. His soul fluttered in his chest. Slowly Sans turned his head to look at Papyrus, the taller skeleton looking back with gentle eyes. Sans placed a bony hand against Papyrus’s cheek and pulled him in, closing the distance between them as they shared a passionate kiss.

 

It didn’t take long for the two to conjure their tongues, each of them eager to explore the other’s mouths. Papyrus tightened his hold on Sans as he danced his orange tongue with Sans blue one, enjoying the taste of the smaller skeleton, wanting more. Sans mewled delectably into Papyrus’s mouth causing the taller skeleton to press himself into the other. Sans immediately pressed back, begging for more friction.

 

A loud hiss from the stove filled the kitchen causing the two to stop their make out session. Both Papyrus and Sans turned to look at the stove just in time to see a large tomato paste bubble rumbling over the edge of the pot. The next thing they knew there was a *pop* and tomato sauce flew everywhere, coating the kitchen and the two skeletons in their culinary creation. The sauce didn’t burn, but it was pleasantly warm.

 

Both Sans and Papyrus stood frozen and quiet as clumps of tomato sauce dripped off the cabinets and counters.

 

*click*

 

The two looked over at Rus who had just taken their picture and was now rolling off the couch in uncontrollable laughter.

 

Sans and Papyrus shared a look before they too joined in the laughter, Sans leaning on Papyrus for support and Papyrus holding onto the sauce covered counter for the both of them.

 

After a good while the three finally calmed down enough till they were reduced to little chuckles and giggles. Sans wiped a few stray tears from his sockets as he recovered from his laughing fit. A boney hand gently cupped his cheek and he felt the phalange wipe away some stray tomato sauce. Sans looked up and met Papyrus’s warm gaze. His soul pulsed and his cheeks quickly began to glow a soft blue.  “NYE HE HE! MAYBE WE’LL HAVE BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME? THE GREAT PAPYRUS DOES NOT PLAN ON GIVING UP.” There was obvious double meaning to that statement as Papyrus held Sans face in his hand.

 

Sans smiled brightly. No, Papyrus didn’t give up. And he was beyond happy for that. “Why don’t you use the bathroom to clean up? I’ll order us some pizza instead.” Sans gestured to the failed cooking that covered the kitchen.

 

“THAT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PLAN.” Papyrus turned and walked towards the bathroom, making sure not to track any sauce as he left. Once Papyrus was inside and the sound of the shower turning on could be heard behind the door, Sans went to work in the kitchen. He used his magic to teleport most of the mess away and wiping down the rest with paper towels.

 

Rus watched Sans out of the corner of his eye as he continued to focus on the TV. If Sans wanted help with the kitchen Rus would lend him a hand, but it seemed that the smaller skeleton already had everything under control. Rus was just about to flip to another channel when a buzzing in his pocket caught his attention. He pulled out his phone and saw it was a text from professor Blue. Blue and he had exchanged numbers so they could better schedule ‘tutoring’ lessons. Rus chuckled to himself as he remembered the last lesson. It started off with Blue going over some key terms and basic concepts, but then it dissolved to them just chatting about the things they liked. They hand ended up hanging out more than studying. Rus opened the text message.

 

6:30pm  
Blue: Hey, what cha doin? :)

 

Rus tried to hold back a grin. Blue was such a professional teacher and they had such an appropriate student teacher relationship. He mocked in his head.

 

6:31pm  
Rus: Nothin. Just on a date.

 

6:35pm  
Blue: Oh… Sorry to bother you…

 

6:36pm  
Rus: Just kidding. It’s more like I’m chaperoning a date.  
Rus: What’s with the “…” everywhere?

 

6:37pm  
Blue: What?  
Blue: Nothing  
Blue: That’s just how I text.  
Blue: Wait what do you mean chaperon a date?

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

6:38pm  
Rus: [Picture Message]

 

Blue opened the message to see Rus winking while holding up the V sign with two skeleton monsters making out in a kitchen in the back.

 

Blue looked at the picture with an amused giggle. He recognized the smaller skeleton to be Rus’ friend, the one that came to pick Rus up from class the first day of the semester. Why would he need to chaperone his friend’s date?

 

6:40pm  
Rus: [Picture Message]

 

Blue looked at the new picture and immediately put a bony hand to his mouth to stifle a laugh. There stood the same two skeleton monsters from before, but now covered in what looked like tomato sauce. The whole kitchen looked to be covered in the sauce as well. Guess that answers that question.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

6:42pm  
Blue: What would your friends ever do without you?

 

6:45pm  
Rus: IKR. But I think things are about to get a little private between the two.  
Rus: Wish I had known about this date ahead of time. I would have left gone somewhere else and given my roommate the apartment so he could have more privacy.

 

“Hey Rus.”

 

Rus looked up to see Sans standing in front of him, rubbing his arm awkwardly. “Can Papyrus borrow some clothes? The sauce soaked through everything and I don’t think he’d fit in anything of mine.”

 

“No problem.” Rus patted San’s shoulder as he stood up, hoping to put his friend at ease. The lengthy skeleton made his way to his room, Sans following close behind. Rus found some clothes from his ‘clean pile’ and handed them to Sans. It was a simple white V-neck t-shit and dark blue sweatpants. They weren’t flashy, but they were comphy, and he was sure they were soft enough to sleep in. Rus smiled to himself already knowing where this date was leading.

 

“Thanks pal!” Sans left Rus’ room and headed towards the bathroom.

 

*buzz*

 

Rus looked at his phone.

 

7:00pm  
Blue: If you want you can come to my place for the evening.  
Blue: Don’t want you having to stick around if you’re feeling uncomfortable.

 

Rus’ cheeks began to dust a light orange. Go to Blue’s place for the evening? Did he have the willpower for that? Rus thought to himself for a while. Sure Sans didn’t mind him being around, but he didn’t want to be _that_ guy who made things awkward for a couples first time. If he was gone Sans and Papyrus could be as loud as they wanted without worrying about Rus listening in. Rus smirked to himself. He was the best wingman. Sans could thank him later.

 

7:05pm  
Rus: Sure, I’ll be over in a bit. Send me the address.

 

Rus put his phone back in his pocket as he looked around for his spare pack of cigarettes. Looks like he was going to get to spend time with Blue today. The thought made him smile. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was excited and nervous to see Blue. They would be hanging out alone together, at Blue’s house no less. Rus couldn’t help but fantasize about what they might end up doing together. He could take Blue in the doorway, bend him over the couch during a movie, rouse him from sleep for a little fun… Of course he wasn’t going to act on anything. Blue was still his professor, but… Didn’t he say they were friends now? Was there a possibility of more? Friends with benefits sounded real nice. No. Rus wasn’t about to ruin his friendship with Blue over his libido. Rus smiled while putting out his cigarette in an ash tray in his room. He was just happy to see Blue.

 

…

 

“Hey Papyrus I have some clean clothes for you to wear.” Sans knocked on the bathroom door and waited for Papyrus to answer. The door then creaked open about half way but it was still enough for Sans to see everything. Sans body stiffened. There stood Papyrus, in nothing but a towel around his pelvis, water dripping off his bones. Sans held up the clothes to the taller skeleton, his face burning bright cyan. “H-here…”

 

“OH THANK YOU!” Papyrus took the clothes gratefully, but then paused after grabbing them. He couldn’t help but notice the way Sans was staring at him. Sans looked so flustered and cute, his cheeks glowing bright blue. A bright blush dusted his own cheek bones. “THE SHOWER IS ALL YOURS.” Papyrus squeaked out and mentally berated himself for letting his voice betray him. Papyrus then walked past Sans and closed the door to his bedroom to change, letting Sans take the bathroom to clean up next.

 

Sans took a deep breath trying to calm his pounding soul as he walked into the bathroom. **_‘Oh my ketchup…’_** Sans tried to reel in his racing imagination as he stepped into the shower to wash off the half dried sauce.

 

Once Papyrus was done changing he huffed and stood in the middle of Sans’s room with his hands on his hips, inspecting everything around him. He needed something to distract him. He couldn’t get the image of Sans staring at him out of his mind and it was stirring his magic. Stars why did he love seeing Sans so flustered like that? And why was there nothing distracting in Sans room? He didn’t want his magic to start forming, that would be an embarrassing predicament.

 

Suddenly the door was opened, causing the tall skeleton to jump.

 

“Hey Sans- Oh. Sorry, thought you were still in the shower.” Rus was half way poking in the room before he noticed Papyrus standing there.

 

“SANS IS IN THE SHOWER.” Papyrus stated nervously. Sans gaze still burning in the back of his head.

 

“Hm. Well when he gets out just tell him that I’ve gone to Blue’s place. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

 

“I WILL LET SANS KNOW.”

 

Rus smiled and gave a lazy half wave as he left the room. There was a *blip* sound in the hallway indicating Rus had teleported.

 

Sans and Papyrus were officially alone in the apartment now.

 

Papyrus stood nervously in the middle of Sans room, still unsure what to do. His magic was still stirring, not enough to manifest into anything, but definitely enough to make his soul pound in his chest and make his bones tingle with sensitivity. His gaze wondered around the room until it landed on Sans bed. Papyrus couldn’t help his cheek bones from glowing a brighter orange as a thought crossed his mind.

 

**_‘I WONDER IF… NO! I COULDN’T DO THAT. WHAT IF SANS SEES?’_ **

****

Papyrus listened closely and could still hear the sound of the shower running in the bathroom down the hall.

 

**_‘WELL… PERHAPS IF IT WAS JUST FOR A MOMENT… RIGHT. DO IT FAST, GET IT OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM, AND BE DONE WITH IT!’_ **

****

Papyrus wrung his hands together nervously until he built up enough courage to finally jump into Sans bed. Papyrus buried his face in the pillow as he let Sans scent envelop him. The bed was so warm and the smell was comforting. Papyrus could feel his soul relaxing immediately, his bone stopped tingling with sensitivity. His whole body was washed in a wave calm. Papyrus wasn’t sure how long he had been laying there but he didn’t want to move. It was too relaxing. Slowly Papyrus closed his eyes. He would just lay here for a bit. He could keep focused on the sound of the shower and move once he hears the water stop.  

 

“Papyrus?”

 

Papyrus froze and his eyes shot open. Oh no, he was too relaxed. He never even heard the shower stop or Sans enter the room.

 

Sans stayed still in the doorway. He had already finished his shower and dressed himself in a pair of black basketball shorts with a white t-shirt, clothes he had brought into the bathroom ahead of time. As soon as he left the bathroom there had been a knock at the front door indicating the pizza had arrived. Sans had already paid for the pizza and had set the food out in front of the TV, a movie already on the screen ready to play. He had come to his room to let Papyrus know dinner was ready only to freeze at the open door.

 

There laid Papyrus sprawled out on his bed, hugging his pillow to his face with the most content look on his features. Sans couldn’t stop his soul from pounding away in his chest at the sight.

 

Papyrus turned around with a guilty expression. “SANS… I…” What? What could he say in this situation? That he was laying on Sans bed because the smell of him and just plain having him around puts his soul at ease? That wasn’t awkward at all. Oh stars now Sans was going to think he was weird. Papyrus was trying to think of something, anything to get him out of this situation but his mind just would not work. Everything was at a standstill.

 

Sans still wasn’t saying anything. He was just standing there staring at him and Papyrus was on the verge of tears. This was not how a cool dude acted on a date, this was the exact opposite! “SANS I’M SORRY I-“

 

Papyrus was cut off when Sans began walking across the room to the bed. Slowly, the smaller skeleton crawled onto the mattress. Papyrus felt his soul speeding up in his chest. What was Sans- The smaller skeleton crawled over Papyrus, straddling his hips as he reached up and gently held the taller skeleton’s skull in his hands. “SANS?”

 

*clank*

 

Sans pressed his teeth against Papyrus’s in a soft kiss. Papyrus could feel his soul hum and warm his bones, his previous worries melted away. Papyrus quickly wrapped his long arms around Sans and pulled him close, pressing their chests together. A wet tongue pressed against Papyrus’s teeth asking for entrance, and he was more than happy to oblige. Papyrus summoned his own tongue and quickly began moving and sliding it with Sans’s. He heard the other skeleton moan into the kiss and the sound sent shivers up us spine.

 

Slowly Papyrus began running his hands up and down Sans spine. His phalanges pressing each plate and ridge along the way causing Sans to moan and arch into Papyrus’s chest. He could feel every one of Sans ribs rubbing against his own through the cloth of their shirts. Stars it felt amazing. Papyrus wanted to hear more of those beautiful noises from Sans, he wanted to see his face flushed again.  

 

Papyrus broke the heated kiss, a string of blue and orange saliva still connecting their tongues. He leaned down and slowly trailed his orange tongue up Sans vertebra. “Ah! Papyrus…” Sans shivered in his arms. The sound was amazing and Papyrus wanted more. Following his instincts he continued to lick at Sans neck forcing the smaller skeleton to tremble and released more little moans. Suddenly Papyrus bit down and Sans cried out as he ground his pelvis against the taller skeleton’s. Wowie, what a reaction! Papyrus began grinding back as he continued to bite and lick at the sensitive spot on Sans neck.

 

Stars this was too much. Sans panted as his body rocked against Papyrus in his desperate need for more stimulation. He reached up under Papyrus’s shirt and gently grabbed the other’s spine. Papyrus gasped against Sans neck and the smaller skeleton couldn’t help a smile of satisfaction from spreading across his face. With slow languid movements Sans began to stroke Papyrus’s spine. The taller skeleton started mewling and moaning against the other’s neck as he tried desperately to focus on making the smaller skeleton moan. Hearing Papyrus sent Sans over the edge. Sans couldn’t hold back as his magic pooled towards his lower region, quickly materializing into a hardened blue member. Sans blushed embarrassed that he couldn’t hold off longer. He was about to say something in protest when he felt something hard and warm press against him. Sans looked down and saw the familiar glow of Papyrus’s own magic tenting in the borrowed pants.

 

Seeing Papyrus just as aroused as he was filled him with confidence. Sans pushed Papyrus back onto the mattress as he leaned over him. He was determined to make Papyrus feel good. Slowly Sans pushed the taller skeleton’s shirt up exposing his sternum and ribs. Sans took a moment to admire Papyrus’s bones. The same bones he saw dripping wet earlier. They were strong and slender, and Sans couldn’t help but mouth a little ‘wow’ at the sight. Papyrus blushed and looked away unable to handle Sans hungry stare. His bones were already buzzing with sensitivity from his stirred up magic, and seeing Sans with that expression sent a ping of excitement through his soul. With gentle hands, Sans began to trace and stroke individual ribs, leaning down and licking the ones his hands couldn’t reach. “NYEH! SANS!” Papyrus squirmed under the touches and Sans tongue. All these sensations were new and they were driving Papyrus crazy.

 

“Is this okay?” Sans asked in between licks. He knew that Papyrus wasn’t like the other jocks and he wanted to make sure Papyrus was okay with what was happening. He was ready to stop the second Papyrus felt uncomfortable.

 

“Y-YES AHH!” Papyrus couldn’t stop himself from bucking his hips and grinding into Sans hardened erection. The friction from the cloths rubbing their tips teasingly.  

 

Sans shut his eyes tight as a shiver ran up his spine. Slowly, Sans began to rock back and forth, rubbing his aching cock against Papyrus’s through their pants. The two skeletons completely losing control as they broke down to ragged pants and desperate moans.

 

“I CAN’T TAKE THIS ANYMORE…” Papyrus reached forward and tugged down Sans waistband till his blue cock sprang forth. It was quite the sight. Sans magic looked beautiful. Papyrus wanted to know what it would feel like if their magic touched. He quickly pulled down the top of his own pants freeing his own aching erection. Papyrus noticed the small differences in their magic. Sans cock was a little shorter than his own but made up for it in girth.

 

“Papyrus…?” The taller skeleton could hear the breathy need in Sans voice making his own desire flare up. Once again seeing the glow from their heated magic was enough to grant Papyrus a few moments of clear thinking. Would sleeping with Sans this early be tacky? Would it mean that their relationship was only based of sex? No. That wasn’t true. In the short time they had spent together Papyrus was certain they had an emotional connection, it wasn’t just physical. But still, he really wanted this. The heat was unbearable. Having Sans flushed and panting sitting on top of him practically begging for more was too much to resist. But sex… it still seemed too early. He didn’t want to rush it, he wanted it to be special but…

 

Papyrus knew the perfect solution.

 

“Papyrus do you- AH!” Sans trembled at the feeling of Papyrus’s large hand wrapped firmly around both their cocks. With a slow, steady pace Papyrus began to stoke the throbbing members. Sans gave into the pleasure as his tongue lulled out and his eyes drooped. He rocked into Papyrus’s hand loving the feel of the others cock pressed against his along with the slow ministrations.

 

“Paps please.. Nnh!”

 

Papyrus blushed at the nick name, his cheeks burning brighter at the sound of Sans lewd moans. All those sounds just for him. Sans was just for him. Heat began to build at his pelvis and he head became fuzzy with overwhelming sensations.

 

Something in Papyrus snapped as he wrapped his free arm around Sans, pulling him close and stealing a heated kiss. His other hand beginning to pump their cocks faster, his hips bucking up into sans feeling the soft grinding of their pelvic bones rubbing together. Sans moaned uncontrollably into the kiss, trying desperately to dance his tongue with Papyrus’s. His writhing against Papyrus was pushing his mind further into the haze.

 

Their bodies rocked the bed as they both bucked wildly into Papyrus’s hand. Papyrus felt Sans cock twitch over and over and heard as his moans get louder. He could tell the smaller skeleton was close. “SANS! NYEH! ALMOST..!” Papyrus held onto Sans tighter as he pumped their throbbing cocks faster. Stars with was amazing. Sans’s expressions, his noises, his magic, it was all amazing.

 

“Papyrus! Ah! I’m going to-Ahh!” The smaller skeleton bucked erratically into the hand, rutting even harder against Papyrus’s weeping erection.    

 

“SANS-AH! LET IT GO! PLEASE-AH, PLEASE CUM!” Papyrus tightened his grip on the glowing lengths trying to focus on stroking in a fast pace. His own bucking rubbing into Sans cock desperately. He ran his thumb experimentally over the tips and earned a delicious cry from Sans.

 

“Oh Stars! Papyrus! I’m-Ahhh!” Sans shut his eyes tight and his bones trembled with pleasure as he came hard into Papyrus’s hand. His orgasm unrelenting as his cum continued to spurt up covering both his and Papyrus’s shirts.

 

Seeing Sans come undone by his hands was too much. Papyrus leaned forward and captured Sans in a rough kiss, moaning into his mouth as his body shook with the pleasure of his climax. He came hard squirting onto Sans, covering his shirt and pants in his magic.

 

The two panted heavily as they sat still, recovering from their orgasms.

 

After he calmed his breathing, Sans opened his eyes to find Papyrus was staring right at him. The two looked at each other as their cheeks began glow their respective colors. They both looked at each other with adoration and compassion, and a hint of something else. They sat like this for a while in comfortable silence staring into each other’s eyes, neither one needing to say anything.

Slowly, Papyrus pulled Sans closer as he laid down, bringing the smaller skeleton with him. With a long arm he was able to reach the ruffled sheet at the end of the bed and bring it up to cover the two. Sans’s cheeks glowed brighter as he rested his head on Papyrus’s chest. He could hear the sound of Papyrus’s soul beating rapidly, the hum of magic still emanating off his bones. It was a calm hum, soft, warm, and comforting. Sans could feel his soul glowing in his chest in an attempt to reach out to Papyrus. This made Sans smile softly. Someone cared about him. Wanted to cuddle after sex. Wanted to hold him in their arms.

 

Did he deserve this? Did he deserve all the affection, the caring Papyrus gave him? Was he worthy enough? Sans soul pulsed with conflicted emotions. This was all too good to be true. Something had to be wrong. The universe didn’t give Sans a break like this. Something was going to happen, something was going to ruin this. Sans just knew it.

 

As if hearing the painful thoughts, Papyrus’s soul pulsed stronger sending more calming waves of magic to Sans soul.

 

Sans thoughts stopped as his body relaxed to the feeling. None of that mattered. Right now he was in Papyrus’s arms. He was happy right here. Sans closed his eyes as he felt the drain from their orgasm kick in. Slowly he drifted off to sleep in the comfort of Papyrus’s hold.

 

Papyrus watched Sans fall asleep on him and his soul swelled. Looking at Sans so peaceful in his arms felt right. He leaned down and gave a soft skeleton kiss to Sans skull before resting his head back and letting his own eyes close for much needed rest.

 

________________________

 

Rus knocked on the door to Blue’s apartment as he waited outside and resisted the urge to light a new cigarette. Apparently his professor didn’t live too far from them. He was a little surprised, he wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but seeing professor Blue’s apartment reminded Rus of his own. Maybe they weren’t all that different if they had similar living arrangements. He supposed it would be odd for Blue to own a house and live in it all by himself. Apartment made more sense.

 

Blue opened the door and upon spotting Rus practically tackled the hoodie clad skeleton with a hug in the entryway. “You’re here!”

 

 ** _‘Of course I’m here. Wouldn’t miss a chance to spend time with you.’_** Rus thought as he hugged the smaller skeleton back. He wasn’t surprised by Blue’s sudden clingy personality. He had a suspicion Blue was the hugging type upon first meeting and judging the professor. 

“Come on in! Oh by the way how did the date go for your friend?” Blue let Rus inside the decently seized one bedroom apartment. Everything in the apartment looked clean and tidy. The kitchen, the living room, the dining area, all spotless. Rus couldn’t help but wonder how the tidy skeleton would react if he ever saw Rus and Sans apartment on a normal day.

 

“They’re probably fucking by now. So I would say it was a success for them.” Rus made his way over to the couch and plopped down. Blue had texted him that they would have dinner and a movie. He tried hard to keep his mind from overthinking the situation. It sounded a lot like a date, but he knew better. He and Blue were just friends.

 

Blue blushed at Rus’ bluntness of the situation. “Language!” The smaller skeleton served up the tacos he made in preparation and brought the plates of food over to the couch, sitting next to Rus. “And how would having sex make it a success? I thought the point of dating was to get to know each other.” After setting the plates down Blue pressed the play button to start the movie, The Proposal. Blue smiled excitedly. This was one of his favorite movies and he was happy that he was able to watch it with Rus.

 

Rus turned and gave blue a look that said ‘really?’. Blue knew Rus’ views on people, relationships in particular. Sure Sans was one of his best friends and he knew his friend wasn’t the kind of monster to use people for sex, he was one of the few people that gave Rus hope for humanity. But he still wasn’t 100% convinced about Papyrus. Call him overprotective, but Rus wasn’t going to risk it.

 

Upon reading Rus’ expression Blue rolled his eyes as he dug into his taco. “Have faith that your friend picked a good person to share his life with.”

 

“Sans isn’t exactly the best judge of character sometimes.” Rus bit into his taco and froze. “This is really good.” Rus continued to scarf down the rest of his food, the delicious taste making him even hungrier.

 

“You like it?! Wowzers! I’ll be sure to make some for our study sessions.” Blue’s eyes turned into stars and his cheeks warmed at the praise. It felt good to have Rus compliment his cooking skills.

 

“You made this? Good job.” Rus reached down and pet Blue’s head with praise. Blue couldn’t help as his cheeks glowed brighter from the contact. Without knowing he leaned into the touch. Either Rus didn’t notice or didn’t mind because the taller skeleton simply continued the petting.

 

Once the two finished their meals they sat comfortably on the couch and focused on the movie. Rus would make funny commentary as he watched, pointing out how ridiculously cliché the movie was. Blue would lightly smack Rus’ arm playfully which only caused the other skeleton to continue the comments and jokes. It actually made Blue enjoy the movie more. Blue actually enjoyed satire surprisingly, and Rus was full of sarcastic jokes.

 

As the movie wore on Rus was vaguely aware how close the two were sitting. Their thighs touched and their pinky fingers overlapped as their hands rested on the couch between them. Neither one said anything or made an effort to move. Although if either of them had the courage to look at one another, they would notice both their cheeks glowed softly in the dark living room.

 

Once the movie was over the two sat quietly on the couch, still unmoving. It was getting late and Rus could tell Blue was tired. “Hey Blue maybe we should-“ Rus looked down and saw that Blue’s head was resting on his shoulder, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths. Blue was fast asleep.

 

Rus smiled at the sight. Something about it made his soul hum warmly through his chest. As if feeling the warmth of his soul, Blue moved and snuggled up even closer at Rus’ side. Rus let out a little chuckle through his nose hole. Blue really was adorable. While being ever so careful not to jostle Blue and wake him, Rus readjusted them on the couch so that he was laying across the sofa with Blue resting on his chest. Rus then wrapped his arms around the smaller skeleton, hoping his radiating soul and the sleeves of his hoodie would be enough to keep Blue warm. Blue immediately snuggled closer against Rus’ chest and mumbled something incoherent. Rus’ cheek dusted bright orange. Before sleep could claim him as well, Rus leaned down and gently clanked his teeth on top of Blue skull.

 

Rus decided, If Blue was his friend now he was going to protect him too. He would do his best to protect Blue’s innocent view of the world. He would protect Blue the same way he protected Sans and Red. Rus closed his eyes and tightened his hold around the smaller skeleton. Without Rus even realizing it, Blue had snuck his way into his life. And if Rus was honest with himself, he was happy that Blue did.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a difficult chapter to write. I feel like I have emotional whip lash going between the different skelle's.  
> Either way, thanks for the wait. Ch 7 is already in the works so it should be up much sooner than expected.  
> Always open to comments and suggestions. :)


	7. Owning Up

Outdated pop music played across the intercom of the grocery store, filling what would be the silent isles with soft background noise for customers to listen to as they did their grocery shopping. Blue hummed along with the tunes as he made his way towards the bread isle, a little skip in his step as he did so. His hips swayed back and forth to the music as he looked for more tortillas and taco shells. Maybe he would make both hard and soft tacos for Rus, see which one the relaxed skeleton preferred more. Blue placed a packet of tortillas in his basket that hung off his arm. Maybe he should get more and make extra’s for Rus’ friends. He nodded to himself and grabbed another packet.

 

“You seem awfully cheerful.” Fell stated as he picked out a loaf of bread and placed it in his own basket.

 

The taller skeleton looked beyond out of place standing next to Blue in the grocery store. Outside of school Fell wore clothes that better resembled his edgy personality. The skeleton wore a blood red shirt accompanied by a form fitting black leather jacket. Dark, tight pants clung to his hips and were tucked into a pair of black combat boots. Blue on the other hand opted for a nice, soft baby blue polo and jeans. The pair got a few questioning glances and whispers from the other shoppers. It was to be expected. Neither skeleton cared, they were used to it by now. Blue had been friends with Fell for a while and knew the edgy skeleton caused people to feel uncomfortable. Quite a few times Blue had overheard the whispers, people wondering how the smaller skeleton could be near the taller without being afraid. It kind of made Blue feel proud. Befriending the scary skeleton monster was one of his biggest accomplishments.

“I just had a fun weekend is all.” Blue couldn’t stop his cheek bones from glowing a soft blue hue as he recalled the evening he had with Rus. At some point during the movie Blue had fallen asleep. He woke early in the morning to find himself snuggled up into his student’s arms. Blue could still remember Rus’ peaceful face as he slept, the soft comforting warmth radiating from the skeleton’s soul. Blue didn’t want to move. He wanted to stay in those arms all morning. But it would have been wrong. Rus was his student and he was already crossing a line with their ‘study’ sessions and inviting him over for dinner and a movie. Even though Blue enjoyed the time with Rus immensely, he still had a job to do. And that job was being Rus’ professor.

 

Fell inspected his friend’s reaction closely before wondering off to other isles, Blue fallowing along at his side. “You found someone.” It was more of a statement than a question and it caught Blue off guard.

 

“What are you talking about? I didn’t find-“

 

“Your face. You get that face when you’re thinking of romantic things like relationships, or people you like.”

 

“It’s not like that, he’s a student!” Blue slapped a boney hand over his mouth. He knew exactly how it sounded the second the words flew out.

 

Fell chuckled as the two casually wondered down the pet isle. “I didn’t think you were like that, Blue.”

 

“I’m not! You’re making it into something it’s not.” Blue huffed and his cheek bones glowed even brighter.

 

Fell paused, but only for a moment. “Is it the same student you were so heated up over a while back?” He vaguely recalled Blue’s ranting in his office a few weeks ago.

 

Blue’s whole face began to glow. Stars he wished he didn’t wear his emotions on his sleeve. He just knew his magic was glowing on his face and he couldn’t lie to Fell now even if he wanted to. The smaller skeleton tried to shrink into himself as he stayed quiet.

 

Fell smirked. That was all the confirmation he needed. “Don’t worry, I’m not going to judge you. If you’re falling for this student then that’s what your soul wants, there’s nothing you can do about it.” Fell was well aware he was in no position to lecture Blue about having relations with students. Images of Red’s flushed face crossed his mind. The small skeleton gagged with his own uniform rocking underneath Fell’s deep thrusts.

 

Speaking of his new pet…

 

Fell paused when the two reached the collars and leashes section of the isle.

 

Blue kept quiet as his mind wondered. He and Rus were not a thing. The lazy skeleton was nothing like perfect love he imagined for himself. For crying out loud Rus was probably the furthest thing from a romantic. It was obvious Rus didn’t believe in true love, or even the goodness in people. How could Fell even insinuate that he would have a romantic attraction to that student? Blue snapped out of his daze and had to backtrack a bit, not noticing Fell had stopped walking.

 

The smaller skeleton watched as Fell reached for a spiked red collar, feeling the material of the collar between his boney fingers. “Fell, do you have a pet?”

 

Fell thought for a moment as he examined the collar closely. “I do.”

 

Blue’s eyes changed to stars. “I didn’t know you had a pet! When did this happen?”

 

“I got him just recently.” Fell placed the collar in his basket as he continued onto another isle, Blue quickly fallowing behind.

 

The stars in Blue’s eyes morphed to hearts as he imagined what kind of pet Fell had gotten. In his mind he pictured Fell with a small white fluffy dog in his lap, curled up in a chair in front of the fireplace as the taller skeleton read a book. “Awe! What’s he like? Is he cute?”

 

Fell paused. From behind Blue couldn’t see the devious smirk spreading across the other skeleton’s sharp teeth. “Yes he’s quite cute. As for what he is like… he’s obedient.” Choosing not to divulge any further information, Fell continued on with his shopping.

 

Blue cocked his head to the side curiously as he mulled over Fell’s answer. What kind of response is that? Obedient? He guessed if Fell did have a pet he would be as strict with the animal as he was with his students. He guessed it wasn’t that weird of a response the more he thought about it. Still, he never pictured Fell as the pet owning type.

 

**_‘There’s still so much about Fell that I don’t know.’_ **

****

________________________________

 

A wooden ladder was placed against a metal bookshelf lined with old science journals and articles from previous physicists. Red slowly and carefully climbed his way to the top, the old wooden ladder rattled with each step. Once at the top, Red paused to catch his breath, holding his sides as pain shot through his body. His ribs were still broken from the incident over the weekend. Almost a week had gone by since, but Red was unable to heal himself. His magic was still shot from both his emotional break down and the lack of proper diet and sleep. Red had decided it was best to take it easy and do most of his class work online for the week. He could keep up with his classes through online copies of the lectures and posted homework assignments.

 

He needed this reprieve.

 

Sans, Rus, and Red had finally agreed upon an experiment; they were going to focus on time travel. With a topic in mind the three had been working nonstop this past week trying to gather information, looking for any leads on where to start. A few scientists at the university had been studying monster souls comparing them to human souls. They wanted to find out what made humans so much stronger than monsters. One would think monsters had the superior power with their ability to use magic, but that was not the case. From the few reports of human monster altercations, studies showed humans could outlast monsters and even surpass death. The other scientist’s research at the university had come up with an unknown variable they listed as Determination. This Determination caused an anomaly in time allowing humans to stave away death. Sans had a theory that determination could play a role in time travel. Since Determination was the only thing linking a human’s power to surpass death, then it wasn’t too much of a stretch to theorize that with enough Determination one could stop and reverse time itself. It really wasn’t all that crazy once Red thought about it, especially since humans were already doing such a thing, freezing and reversing time at the moment of death. Although their goal was to reverse time on a much larger scale.

 

This of course this was a touchy subject. News and media outlets always tried to quiet any stories involving human and monster conflicts. If word got out that humans could avoid death and overpower monsters it was sure to cause distrust and conflict.

 

This wasn’t helpful for Red. Because of the way the government tried to hush up these scientists and hide their findings, it made finding any information on Determination difficult. But lucky for Sans, Rus, and Red the scientists in question worked at the university. So their physical, non-published notes had to be stacked away somewhere in the science department.

 

Red scanned the labels of the boxes that contained notebook after notebook of scientific research. Looking up on the top shelf he spotted one that was labeled ‘DT Experiment’. Bingo! Red tip toed to reach for the box, grumbling under his breath and cursing his small stature. As he grabbed hold of the box to pull it down, the weight of the box’s contents suddenly became known. It was heavy! The weight of the box put pressure on Red’s broken ribs and the small skeleton couldn’t hold back a cry of pain. His knees buckled under the intensity of the pain, unprepared for the burning sensation to radiate over his body. Before Red knew what was happening, the ladder shook away from his footing and he fell. Red shut his eyes and prepared for the impact, positive that the fall would break a few more bones.

 

“Oof!”

 

Red landed on something hard and bony, yet warm and soft to the touch. The small skeleton turned and saw Rus laying under him, one arm wrapped protectively around his middle. “Oh shit! Rus I’m sorry!” Red tried to scramble to get off the hoodie clad skeleton, but Rus only held on tighter.

 

“Hey easy, it’s okay. I’m fine.” Rus sat up straight, maneuvering so Red was now sitting in his lap. He looked over the smaller skeleton and frowned. Red’s face was flushed and he was panting softly. His bones felt so warm he could feel it through Red’s uniform. Something was wrong. “What about you? That cry sounded pretty painful. Did you get hurt?”

 

“No, I’m fine. You can let go now.” Red tried to growl out the demand and move away, but his voice cracked with pain giving him away completely.

 

“Hold still, lemme check for wounds.” Rus began to struggle with Red, trying to get the smaller skeleton to relax so he could check him over. What was the big deal? Why was Red so reluctant to let him help?

 

“I said I’m fine-AHH!”

 

Rus flinched and immediately removed his hands where they had been gripping at his sides. He stared at Red with a stern face, watching his friend pant in pain, tears building up at the corners of his sockets. “Red…” Rus said in a calm voice. “lift up your shirt.”

 

Red was quiet as he debated whether or not he had enough energy to teleport away. His soul pulsed painfully in his chest. He didn’t want to be here, he didn’t want Rus to find out. Red finally calmed down enough to look up at Rus and saw the look on his face. His friend was dead serious, but he was trying to stay calm for Red’s sake. Red sighed. There was no fighting this, when Rus got like this there was no way around it.

 

With shaky hands, Red untucked his shirt and sweater vest and pulled them up over his ribs. His body flinched at the movement, but he conjured his tongue just to bite it, hoping to stifle any sounds of pain that might leak out.

 

Rus gasped and looked at Red in disbelief. There were fresh new chips and scratches all over Red’s body. A deep indent in Red’s spine was easy to see. It was a painful sight to look at, and what was the most painful off all was the sight of Red’s ribs. One on his right and two on his left were snapped completely in half, the ribs still held together by duct tape. “Oh Red…” Rus didn’t need to ask what happened. He already knew. It was that son of a bitch roommate or Red’s, Doggo.

 

Red looked to the side as his body shook under Rus’ gaze. He knew he was disgusting. His scars were off-putting for anyone. And now Rus was seeing all new scars, all new proof of his weakness, of his failures. Red wanted to disappear. He wanted Rus to stop looking at him like that. Like he was some pathetic little 1 HP monster. His friends were all he had, he didn’t want them looking down on him too. He couldn’t bear it if Sans and Rus looked down on him too. Tears of frustration fell down Red’s cheeks against his will. Damn it! Now he was crying! Why was he so weak? Why was he so useless?

 

Red’s body began to shake harder and his breath began to come out in small gasps. He was trying so hard not to break down further in front of Rus. He couldn’t. Not now. His throat felt like it was closing and it burned with every tiny gasp he took. He couldn’t get enough air into his non-existent lungs, only making his breathing become more rapid. Tears began to spill over more freely regardless how hard Red bit his tongue. So stupid. So useless. So weak. So pathetic. Red’s hands clenched tighter around his clothes that were still pulled up. His soul pulsed painfully at the guilt. The guilt that he couldn’t protect himself, that he wasn’t stronger, that he was causing Rus to have that face of concern. He was worrying his friends and it was all his fault.

 

“Red… Shh it’s okay…”

 

Like a damn had broke, Red let go of everything he was holding back and buried his face into Rus’ sweater as he cried. Rus wrapped his long arms around Red and held him close, keeping mind of where his wounds were. The small skeleton shook uncontrollably and Rus did everything he could to will his soul to reach Red. He rubbed the other skeleton’s back soothingly as he whispered soft words to his friend, hoping to reach him in his state of pain. Rus resituated himself and Red, fully prepared to sit with him as long as he needed.

After a while Red calmed down enough to stop shaking. Little hiccups and sniffles left the small skeleton as he kept he face buried in Rus’ hoodie. The cloth was soaked but Rus didn’t mind one bit. Slowly Red lifted his face from the hoodie and looked up at Rus with hollowed eyes. “I’m sorry…” His voice was hoarse and weak from the crying.

 

“You don’t need to apologize.” Rus took the sleeve of his hoodie and wiped away the crimson tear streaks from Red’s face.

 

Sans stood quietly around the corner of the storage room’s open doorway. He wanted to go to his friend and comfort him so badly, but he knew Red. If he walked in there he would only overwhelm the small skeleton and send him right back into a state of panic. Right now Rus was taking care of things. Sans had to let his friend take care of Red for now. But that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to stand here and make sure Red was okay. He would be ready when it was his turn to look after the other skeleton.

 

“C’mon, we need to fix your ribs. Turn around, and relax.” Rus helped Red move in his lap so his back was pressed up against Rus. Red took a shaky breath but willed himself to relax, trusting his friend and knowing that Rus wouldn’t hurt him. With careful movements, Rus gently placed his boney hands against Red’s ribs. After a while a soft orange glow began to emanate from Rus’s phalanges, spreading across the broken bones beneath. There was instant relief and Red let go of a breath he didn’t know he was holding. His whole body began to un-tense as the pain from his ribs were washed away by Rus’ magic. Rus was the only one of the three who knew healing magic. It wasn’t much, and it wasn’t enough to heal Red completely, but it was enough to fuse his broken ribs back together.

 

Red could feel the tingles of Rus’ magic connecting his broken bones, it sent shivers up his spine. The smaller skeleton let his head fall back against the other’s sternum as he relaxed for the first time in a week. Pain wasn’t constantly throbbing through his body anymore allowing mind to finally get a chance to relax. Now that he wasn’t focused on the pain, Red suddenly realized just how exhausted he was. His eyes fluttered as he struggled to stay awake.

 

Sans decided it was okay to make his presence known now that Red was on the brink of passing out. The small skeleton walked up to his friends and he knelt down in front of Rus and Red. “How’s he doing?” Sans couldn’t help but reach out and place a gentle hand on Red’s cheek. There was still a dark bruise from when Doggo punched him. This mark was much more prominent than the one Red had on the first day of the semester. Red subconsciously nuzzled into the touch, the sight made Sans smile and his soul warmed reaching out to Red on its own.

 

“He should be fine now.” Rus looked over Red one last time before reaching down and carefully pulled off the duct tape that was on his ribs. Now that his ribs were healed he could remove the tape without worrying that Red would fall apart. After the tape was removed, and with the help of Sans, the two pulled Red’s clothes back down, allowing the small skeleton to have some privacy in his dreary state. Rus frowned as he checked over Red’s stats.

 

0.5/1

He hadn’t been able to heal Red Fully. Somewhere in the back of his mind Rus wondered how low Red’s HP was before he had healed him. If he hadn’t been here when he was, would Red have ignored his wounds till he dusted? If he had been just a few minutes late coming to their empty lab for lunch, would Red have fallen and died? The thought sent a ping of pain through his soul.

 

“Hey Sans.”

 

Sans looked up at Rus and noticed his worried expression. “What is it Rus?”

 

“Can you look after Red? I’m going to grab us something to eat.” Rus knew that he needed to replenish his magic reserves if he was to go another round of healing on Red. He also figured his friend wasn’t eating well or else his wounds wouldn’t have been that bad. Red must not have enough magic to heal himself. Now that he thought about it, it was obvious the smaller skeleton was running low on magic. Normally Red would levitate items that were out if his reach, not climb a ladder to get them manually.

Sans nodded as Rus carefully handed the small skeleton to him. Sans positioned himself so he leaned up against the wall with Red sitting comfortably in his lap, his head resting in the crook of Sans neck.

 

“I’ll be back.” Rus stood and walked out of the empty science lab. He didn’t have the energy to teleport so he proceeded to walk towards the food court.

 

Sans reached into his messenger bag that he had placed next to him and pulled out his blue jacket. He wrapped it around Red making sure his friend was warm and comfortable until he noticed his look alike had fallen fast asleep. Sans couldn’t help but smile. The small skeleton normally didn’t allow Sans or Rus to even hug him, yet here he was fast asleep in Sans arms. Red must really be tired. Red really was cute, even though he tried to act mean and tough. Sans pulled out his phone and texted Papyrus, letting him know that he wouldn’t be there for culinary today. Today he was going to be there for his friend.

 

2:30pm  
Sans: Hey Paps, can you text me today’s notes once class is over? I won’t be there for today’s lesson.

 

2:31pm  
Papyrus: Why? Are you sick? Should I come over and make you soup?

 

2:32pm  
Sans: lol No I’m not sick. It’s Red. He needs us so Rus and I are going to hang out with him for a bit.

 

2:33pm  
Papyrus: Oh I see! I shall make Red soup then!

 

2:34pm  
Sans: You don’t need to do that.

 

2:37pm  
Papyrus: Of course I do! Red is your friend, and your friends are important to you. And you are important to me, therefore your friends are also important to me!

 

Sans felt his cheek bones glow a soft blue as he stared at the message.

 

Sans still wasn’t sure what he and Papyrus were. Every time they hung out Sans meant to bring it up, but something in the back of his mind kept him from starting the conversation. If he was truly honest with himself…

 

He was afraid.

 

He was afraid to ask Papyrus if they were dating. He wasn’t worried that Papyrus would say no, he was worried that Papyrus would say yes. Sans didn’t know how to date. He didn’t know how to act in a relationship. He knew how to be someone’s fuck toy. He knew how to fallow someone around like a lost puppy with the hopes that they would return his feelings. Sans wasn’t used to someone caring for him, taking time out of their busy schedule to be with him, to be a part of his and his friend’s lives.

 

But Papyrus… he was in every sense of the word boyfriend material. He texted Sans constantly. He would make time to see the smaller skeleton even though he was busy with football. He took an interest in Sans life and even went so far as to befriend Rus. He was gentle, caring, and sweet. And it scared the crap out of Sans.

 

Sans couldn’t bring himself to text Papyrus back, so instead he continued to hold Red tight in his arms. Sans felt the soft even breaths from Red tickle his clavicle. He didn’t mind. He listened to Red’s breathing as he gently petted the back of his skull. Why couldn’t he be as open with Papyrus as he was with Red and Rus? Sans sighed as he closed his own eyes. Why was everything so complicated?

 

______________________

 

Rus sighed heavily as he made his way through the science building. The lines in the food court had been ridiculously long. He remembered why Sans and him always brought their lunch from home rather than braving the student center with the food court. Actually, lately the three had been enjoying Blue’s home cooked tacos. So there wasn’t much packing of meals between the three. Red was surprised to hear Rus was so close with a professor, enough to get food from them. And Sans suspected that there was something else going on between him and Blue. Rus smiled to himself. Blue and him had been getting quite close over the week, but still, nothing like Sans suspected.

 

“Hey I’m back. I got us all burgers.” Rus made his way to the back of the lab towards the storage room where he had left sans and Red, freezing in place when he saw Sans asleep on the floor with Red nowhere in sight. “Sans, where’s Red?” Rus couldn’t keep the worry from slipping through his voice.

 

Slowly, Sans opened his eyes and looked around. Shit, he had fallen asleep. His eyes dropped down to his chest and he noticed his blue jacket had been placed over him like a blanket. Red must have done that before he left. “I don’t know. He was here just a minute ago… Fuck, why did I fall asleep?” sans rubbed his eye sockets with his boney palms, trying to wake himself up faster.

 

Rus looked around and noticed Red’s book bag was also missing. The tall skeleton pulled his phone from his pocket to check the time. He had missed his psychology class, which means they all had missed their elective classes. Did Red go home for the day? They had planned to stay after class to work on their science project, but he wouldn’t blame Red if he wanted to rest instead. Still, was home really the best place to be right now? With Doggo? Rus could feel his anger begin to boil at the thought of Doggo. Red needed to take it easy, he was only at half HP. Rus pulled up Red’s contact and quickly called Red’s cell phone.

 

Sans stood and waited nervously to see if Rus could get ahold of their friend.

 

The phone continued to ring, but no answer.

 

Rus shared a worried look with Sans and the two couldn’t help but begin to panic.

 

__________________

 

Red yawned softly into the quiet air of the campus as he slowly made his way to the literature building. He had missed class all week and up until now professor Fell had been posting all their work online, until today that is. If Red wanted to keep up with the class he needed to find out their homework assignments for the weekend. Red slowly ascended the stairs to the second floor where his literature class was. He was making sure not to strain himself and ruin all of Rus’ healing. Red’s bones began to shake the closer he got to his classroom. He wasn’t going to lie, he was incredibly nervous about seeing Fell after their last encounter. He wasn’t angry at Fell for what he did. If anything it was like a dream. This sexy, tall, dark skeleton monster had thrown Red into the fires of passion, showing him just how good sex could feel. But at the same time, Fell reminded him of how much of a disgusting, worthless being he was. Begging and writhing for Fell to hurt him. Getting aroused at the pain, becoming harder with each whip he received. Red had to pause and take a deep breath. He needed to calm his thoughts or his magic was going to start acting up.

 

Slowly, Red opened the door to his literature class room.

 

He blinked surprised.

 

The room was empty.

 

Class was over and Fell hadn’t stayed behind like he did before.

 

Red couldn’t help but notice a small ping of disappointment that shot through his soul. He convinced himself that it was because now he didn’t know what his homework assignment was, and he was sure to fall behind in class. And Fell was a tough professor, this wasn’t going to make things easy. Red sighed in defeat and bonked his forehead against the doorframe to the class.

 

“Excuse me, are you looking for professor Fell?”

 

Red shot up and turned around to see another small skeleton monster standing just a little ways away. This skeleton looked just like Sans, except his eyes were big and blue, making him much cuter and more innocent looking.

 

As soon as the two locked eyes, the other skeleton lit up. “Wait! Your name wouldn’t happen to be Red, would it?”

 

Red was a little taken back. Had he met this squishy little blueberry of a monster before? “Y-yes, that’s my name.”

 

“Oh wowzers! It’s nice to meet you Red, I’m professor Blue!” Without waiting for Red to react, Blue reached out and shook the other skeleton’s limp hand. The movement jostled the other skeleton whom wasn’t ready for the handshake.

 

Professor Blue? So this was the professor Rus had been getting chummy with and had been feeding them tacos over the past week as they worked overtime on their science project. Wires started to connect in Red’s brain as he finally tuned back into reality. “Uh pleasure to m-meet you, p-professor. T-thank you for the tacos.” Red wasn’t exactly sure what to say. Blue was obviously very friendly, but he was still a professor, so Red tried to keep his attitude respectful.

 

Blue’s eyes morphed into stars. “You liked them?”

 

“Y-yeah, they’re r-really tasty.” Red could feel sweat starting to drip down his skull. Social situations were number one on his anxiety list.

 

“Thank you! I’m so glad you like them!” Blue bounced a little in place trying to contain his excitement. This was the first time he was meeting one of Rus’ friends, actually meeting them and not seeing them in passing. And now Rus’ friend was telling him that he liked his tacos. Blue couldn’t help but bounce with happiness. He really wanted to make a good impression on his student’s friends. These were the people that Rus cared about, who kept him from being dragged too far into his depressing thoughts of the world. Getting close with Rus also meant getting close with his friends.

 

“Um, you mentioned something about professor Fell..?” Red tried to redirect the conversation. This was all very uncomfortable for him.

 

“Oh right! If you’re looking for professor Fell he’s in his office. I can show you if you want!”

 

“Y-yes, please.”

 

Blue smiled and turned on his heal. “Follow me!” Red held onto the straps of his book bag to hide the shaking in his hands. The nervousness of seeing Fell came back full force.

 

Blue led the way to Fell’s office quietly as he went over a few things in his head. He knew about Rus’ friend Sans. Sans was dating Papyrus, another tall skeleton monster but who was a freshman and on the football team. And this was Red, the shy, nervous friend who had a rough time outside of school. Blue wasn’t entirely sure what Rus meant by that, but whenever he asked the other skeleton about it, Rus made a point to avert the topic. It was easy to see Rus cared about his friends, especially Red. Blue glanced back and snuck a peak at the other small skeleton. Red kept his eyes on the ground and hands clenched on his book bag as he fallowed. Blue couldn’t help but wonder what kind of relationship Rus had with Red. The lazy skeleton said they were friends but Blue could tell there was something else. Or maybe it was just his imagination. Maybe he was just worried.

 

Worried?

 

Why was he worried? Why did these thoughts bother him?

 

Before Blue could dwell on the subject too long, the two reached the door to Fell’s office. Blue quickly knocked on the door with his signature pattern, one that he always used when knocking. He then stood back and waited. Red clenched his book bag tighter but it did nothing to hide the fact that his whole frame was shaking now.

 

“What the hell do you want Blue, you were just here.” Fell practically threw the door open in annoyance ready to chew his college out for disrupting him yet again, but fell silent upon spotting Red.

 

“I think this is one of your students? He was looking for you in your classroom.” Blue rocked on his heels, feeling a little smug at the fact that he could get to annoy Fell one more time this evening. He was here earlier to complain that Rus had missed class and had missed their scheduled ‘study’ session. He knew Rus would be working late on his science project, but didn’t know he would be missing class to do it. Part of him felt a little annoyed that Red had made the time to at least see Fell about his class whereas Rus hadn’t even text him yet. Blue sighed internally. There really wasn’t anything he could do, and it wasn’t Rus’ fault honestly. Psychology was an elective and Rus was first most a scientist. He knew sometimes classes conflicted with each other and students had to learn to delegate their time.

 

“Thank you for bringing him here.” Fell said as he kept a hard stare on Red.

 

Red could feel his bones tingle from that look alone. Oh crap, was Fell mad? Well he had been skipping class to recover. Wait, maybe Fell thought he had been skipping class because he didn’t want to see him. A shiver ran up Red’s spine as he tried to keep his trembling to a minimum. Sure he was nervous about seeing Fell again, but he wasn’t avoiding the professor. Not on purpose. Was Fell going to be angry with him? Was he going to punish him? The thought of Fell tying Red up once again and roughly having his way with him flashed through his mind. Red’s cheek bones began to glow a soft crimson, despite his best efforts to reel his imagination back in.

 

Blue shifted uncomfortably as he felt the tension in the air between the two. That was odd. The small skeleton noted how Fell hadn’t moved his eyes from the student the whole time they’d been standing there. Fell’s posture tall and stiff, his face had a stern look, his magic radiating a dominant aura. Wait a minute… Blue recognized this behavior. Blue felt his breath hitch as realization dawned on him. This is how Fell acted before sex.

 

Oh no, no no no no no.

 

“Hey Fell, maybe we-“

 

“You can leave now, Professor Blue.” Fell finally broke his hardened stare with Red to look at Blue. “I can take it from here.” The tone of his voice hinted that this was anything but a normal teacher student meeting. It also held a warning letting Blue know this was not up for discussion. 

 

Blue wanted to say something, anything. To stop whatever this was, but his voice wouldn’t work. Fell was still incredibly intimidating, even if they were friends. Blue felt himself nodding meekly as he turned and walked down the hall. He wasn’t sure how he felt about this new information.

 

No.

 

Maybe he was wrong. Maybe he was reading too much into the situation. Fell would never risk his career for casual sex with a student. Blue chanced a peek over his shoulder back at Fells door. He saw Fell grab Red by his tie and yank him roughly into the office, shutting the door firmly behind him. The display made Blue blush. He was sure now he wasn’t reading too much into the situation. It was exactly what he thought.

 

**_‘Then again… There’s still so much about Fell that I don’t know.’_ **

****

_________________________________

 

Red let out a small yelp of surprise as he was shoved roughly into the large bookshelf. One of the wooden shelves dug painfully into the dent in his spine. Red tried to keep from trembling, but he couldn’t help his bones from shaking and they raddled softly as Fell leaned in closer inspecting Red’s face. The taller skeleton grabbed Red’s skull so he couldn’t move as he looked over the bruising under his left eye socket. It was similar to the mark Red had on the first day of class. The marks on Red’s bones and his shy demeanor gave Fell the impression that Red was a practiced submissive. Fell couldn’t deny there was something about Red that attracted him, making him prefer the small skeleton over any other suitors he could have chosen from. Red was certainly the most dangerous option. Fell risked a lot by picking Red to be his new pet. Even though all reasonable logic screamed to pick anyone else, Fell went with his instincts and it guided him to Red. Fell didn’t believe in destiny or emotional bull crap like Blue, but he did trust his instincts. They had never guided Fell wrong before. 

But now… The pet he had chosen, who had been missing a whole week since their first session, shows up sporting a dark bruise and magic from another monster still freshly radiating off his bones… Fell was beyond furious. Did someone force themselves on Red, or had Red gone with this orange magic wielding monster willingly?

 

“Where have you been?” Fell kept his voice deep and calm.

 

“I’ve been s-sick… S-sorry.” Red couldn’t look away from Fell’s intense gaze. He knew this behavior was not Professor Fell talking, it was the Fell from after class. The one who made his bones burn with both pain and pleasure. The one he dreamt about. The one that made him question if he truly was a sick pervert who loved pain. The one who made him scream as he orgasmed.

 

“Sorry what…?” Fell waited for Red to correct himself.

 

Red felt shivers run up his spine and he felt his mouth suddenly dry. He watched as Fell waited patiently for his response.

 

“S-sorry, m-master…”

 

“Good boy.” Fell leaned in and pressed his teeth roughly against Red’s. He wasted no time as he invaded the smaller skeleton’s mouth with his tongue, pushing past the sharp rows of teeth to explore every dip and every inch of him. Red blushed at the kiss and how quickly he conjured his own tongue, moving it with Fell’s but not daring to try and take control. Fell pushed himself up against Red causing the small skeleton to moan softly into the kiss, his bones still extremely sensitive from the healing magic. Red could feel Fell grinding into him, his pelvic bone already warming with anticipation. Without realizing, Red began to rut back into Fell, his body moving on its own, desperately seeking the tantalizing pleasures from before.

 

Fell broke the heated kiss and looked down at Red, the smaller skeleton’s face was flushed as he panted trying to catch his breath, small strings of red saliva dripped at the corner of his mouth. Fell smirked at the sight. He still had his pet wrapped around his finger.

 

“You mind telling me whose magic is all over you?”

 

The question snapped Red back into reality as he struggled to find his voice. “It’s my f-friend’s m-magic.”

 

“Are you fucking your friend?” Fell pushed himself harder against Red and the smaller skeleton gasped at the sensation, his magic quickly collating at his pelvis.

  

“No!” Red practically moaned out.

 

“Then why is their magic all over you?” Fell couldn’t stop his voice from dropping dangerously low, his possessiveness leaking through.

 

“H-he was h-healing me!” Red blurted out, Fell’s tone sending shivers through his bones and completely destroying any and all of his resolve to hide the situation.

 

Fell froze.

 

Healing magic?

 

Without warning Fell pulled up Red’s shirt and sweater vest, looking at his chest and ribs where he sensed the majority of the other monster’s magic. There, shinning dimly in the office were glowing orange lines that outlined where the ribs had been snapped. The rest of the bones were littered with dents, bruises, and chips. Fell didn’t need to ask what happened. No monster could get these wounds by accident. Not this severe.

 

Fell stayed quiet and still as he processed this new information.

 

Someone out there had _touched_ his pet.

 

Had _hurt_ his pet.

 

Had _broken_ his pet.

 

Fell’s magic began to manifest into a dangerous aura. The intensity in which the aura radiated was palpable.

 

“Who did this to you?” Fell’s voice had gone demonic. All traces of his calm demeanor now vanished.

 

Red shook uncontrollably, his bones raddled against one another. He had never seen Fell like this before. Not even when he caught a student texting during class. Red’s voice failed him as his eyes shrank to pin pricks.

 

“Who did this to you?” Fell repeated, this time slower. Red could hear the venom in the taller skeleton’s voice. It reminded him of Rus, and how his friend would act whenever talking about Doggo-oh.

 

_Oh._

Red’s soul began to pound in his rib cage in panic. Fell was acting like Rus, but worse. Scarier. If Fell knew about Red’s roommate, what would he do? He wouldn’t possibly consider going after a student. Would he? Red looked over the taller skeletons face. It was all he needed to confirm his suspicions. Fell was serious, seriously pissed off. He didn’t know his professor nearly as well as he knew Rus, but in this moment, Fell’s face said enough for Red to know he was ready to dust a monster.

 

Red swallowed hard. He couldn’t let Fell know. He absolutely would NOT let Fell jeopardize his career over a pathetic, useless monster like him. Red wasn’t worth it. He was disgusting, worthless, garbage. If Fell did something stupid, he would be kicked out of the university for sure. He would never see the edgy skeleton again. The thought alone was enough to send a jolt of pain through Red’s soul.

 

“Please… it’s been taken care of… don’t…” The pain from his soul worsened as it radiated over his body and traveled up to his throat, making it feel tight. “Don’t do anything… please…” Red’s throat burned as tears stung at the corners of his eye sockets. “I can’t…” His vision became blurry as tears threatened to spill. **_‘I can’t lose you.’_** Red shook as he was no longer able to hold back his tears. Fuck why was he so damn useless! First he cried in front of Rus, now Fell! Red dropped his head in defeat. Fell was sure to lose interest in him now. It didn’t matter. He was going to lose Fell either way. The edgy skeleton wouldn’t have any use for a weak, pathetic 1 HP monster like himself. One who couldn’t defend himself. One who’s very existence was a burden on the only people who cared about him. Red wanted to disappear, he wanted to turn to dust right then and there and make everyone else’s lives that much easier. He wanted-

 

“Shhh… Breathe…”

 

Red froze. He looked up at Fell through teary eyes seeing Fell mimic slow, deep breaths. Red suddenly gasped in a breath of air. When had he stop breathing? Slowly Red calmed his breathing down, focusing on Fell, trying to mimic the other skeleton. After a while Red was able to breathe on his own without copying Fell. He stood quietly, leaning against the bookshelf for support, his bones still trembling.

 

Suddenly, Red felt weak and lightheaded. His vision became blurry until everything went dark and his legs gave way.

 

Fell caught the smaller skeleton before he could fall. He looked over his student with a worried look before checking the other’s stats.

 

0.3/1

 

Fell felt his soul still in his chest. Not only was Red a 1 HP monster, but he was literally about to fall apart and dust at any moment.

 

Fell’s soul pulsed and flared with raging emotions. On one hand Fell was disgusted with himself for not checking Red’s stats earlier. He could have easily dusted the smaller skeleton during their first sex session had he not been holding back. On the other hand Fell could barely contain his rage over the fact his pet had been hurt by someone, and had Red not been healed by his friend he would have dusted. He would have dusted and Fell would have been none the wiser.

 

Red had been gone all week. Fell didn’t know any of this was going on. Fell’s grip tightened around the small skeleton in his arms as his emotions raged on. He didn’t know. He spent the week acting pissy, thinking Red was ignoring him. While this whole time his pet was in danger. His pet was hurting. His pet _needed_ him.

 

Fell grabbed his coat and draped it over the unconscious skeleton.

 

No more.

 

From now on Fell was going to take care of what was his. He was going to protect his pet. He was going to keep his pet safe. And he was going to fucking kill who ever dare lay a hand on his Red.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to add another scene or two but that would have bumped this chapter up to 12,000 words and that would have been way too long.   
> But that just means I get to have more fun next chapter ;)  
> P.S. Fell is yandere af


	8. Something Dark Grows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to share with you all some incredible artwork. :)  
> StripeySkelesins did an amazing job at drawing the pictures that were sent to Blue in Ch 6  
> [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)

 

There was warmth and softness. The feelings contradicted with the residual pain in his bones. There was a smell, a deep hearty aroma that made his nonexistent gut rumble, even in his state. Red fought back consciousness, wanting to spend a little more time in the warm, soft, darkness. His hands balled up into fists, they grabbed a handful of… silk? Red tried to remember what he could be wearing that was silk. Nothing. Red stirred some more and became increasingly aware that he could feel the soft silk across his legs, the fabric caressing his femurs like feathers. Red squeezed his eyes shut tighter before finally giving in to the conscious world. They opened and closed a few times before Red could finally completely pry his sockets open.

 

He laid still for a while as he gave his mind time to adjust. While lying in a large bed inside a dark room realization began to dawn on him. Wait, where was he? Red tried to recall his most recent memories. He went to school, fell retrieving some science journals, Rus and Sans was there, then Red went to Fell’s office for his homework assignments and… oh.

 

Fell

 

“Oh no…” Red covered his face with his hands as memories of him breaking down in front of his professor replayed in his head. His face began to glow bright crimson with embarrassment. He had _cried_ in front of Professor Fell. Cried! The sexy edgy skeleton monster who he not only looked up to and respected, but had grown a strong infatuation for after sharing a very headed moment of passion with. Shit what had he done? He was used to holding in his emotions and playing everything off, so why was he breaking down recently? This wasn’t like him at all. Fell probably thought he was a weakling now. Just a pathetic, worthless, useless… Red began to pound on his skull with his hands. “Stupid, stupid, stupid-“

 

“What the hell are you doing?”

 

Red shot up in bed and stared at the doorway with wide eyes. There stood Fell, still in his school cloths consisting of a black turtleneck sweater and black leather pants, the only thing missing was his glasses. Red’s eyes trailed down to the tray in his hands. He was holding a serving tray that had a glass of water and a plate of-was that lasagna? So that’s what that delicious smell was from earlier. Red felt himself swallowing hard at the sight of the food. As if to chime in with his thoughts, Red’s nonexistent stomach made a loud growl that seemed to echo in the quiet room. Fell raised a brow bone, clearly hearing the small skeleton’s hunger. Sweet mustard gods kill him now. Red lowered his face as his whole skull began to glow with embarrassment. He needed to find a hole and crawl in it now.

 

Fell huffed in amusement as he made his way to the nightstand next to the bed. “I thought as much. You haven’t eaten in days, have you?” Fell set the tray down on the night stand, adjusting the silverware on the cloth napkin. It all looked so elegant.

 

Red couldn’t say anything. His nervousness and embarrassment rendered his voice mute. He simply shook his head, replying to the other skeleton’s question. He really hadn’t been eating at all. He didn’t want to leave his room and face seeing Doggo in the kitchen, and his science project had taken up so much of his spare time he had just plain forgotten to eat. The only meal he had was one taco a day courtesy of Professor Blue. But that wasn’t enough to replenish his magic, especially with the extensive injuries he had received.

 

“Here, eat up and replenish your magic. Your HP will just keep doing down if you don’t have enough magic of your own to sustain yourself.”

 

Red felt his cheeks burn at the kind gesture. This was all incredibly out of character from the Fell Red had come to know. But then again, he could argue he didn’t really know Fell all that well to begin with. Fell had been his professor for what, less than a month? They had sex once. Spontaneous sex once. Completely unprovoked sex, only once. Was that really enough for Red to know someone? He guessed not. But still… the Fell he was seeing right now made his soul flutter. In fact if he really thought about it, all of Fell’s personalities made his soul flutter. The taller skeleton was either being cool and knowledgeable about literature, sexy and dominant during sex, or caring like he was right now. Red felt himself gripping the red silk sheets tightly in his bony hands. Thinking about this was sending his emotions all over the place. He needed to calm down. Focus on the task at hand.

 

“T-thank you…” Red forced himself to squeak out as he reached for the tray, setting it on his lap. The food looked amazing, and the presentation made it feel like Red was at some fancy restaurant.

 

Fell silently looked Red over for a while, trying to determine whether the smaller skeleton would be well enough to be left alone. Other than that persistent blush Fell didn’t notice anything else wrong. He figured he could let his pet eat in peace. The taller skeleton then turned and headed towards the door, but paused once he reached the doorway. He turned his head and sent a chilling glare at Red. “Oh, and don’t let me catch you hitting yourself again.” Fell’s eyes narrowed dangerously. “Don’t you dare ruin my hard work at healing you, you shit head.” With that the edgy skeleton left the room.

 

Well, so much for the nice and caring Fell.

 

Red gulped and looked down at his food. His professor really knew how to instill fear in his students, no matter the situation. Red decided not to chance angering Fell any further so he dug into the steaming plate of lasagna. Once he took the first bite, his bones warmed and his mouth watered. He quickly dug into the rest of his food, devouring the meal. It was just as delicious as it smelled. Red wondered if Fell had cooked this himself. Once finished with his plate he downed the glass of water and took in a satisfying breath.

 

With his hunger sated Red’s mind finally cleared enough for him to process his surroundings. He looked around the room and saw it was dark, professional, yet had a hint of elegance to it. **_‘This must be Professor Fell’s room.’_** Red sat the tray back on the nightstand then pulled the sheets back and got out of bed. He wondered around the room looking at all the decorations, or lack thereof he noted. A large pirate flag stood out like a sore thumb against the modern simplistic décor. Seeing the random piece of edgy furniture made Red chuckle. It was almost like something you’d see in a rebellious teen’s room. Red’s eyes then fell on a modern looking bookshelf which was littered with rare first edition copies of classic novels. His sockets widened as he immediately went to the bookshelf, his phalanges ran gently across the old, delicate spines of the books. This was incredible! So many books! Some of his favorites, some he knew and loved, and some he never heard of before. It was like literature heaven. Red was surprised to see so many of his favorite reads were in the collection. He and Fell must have similar tastes. He fallowed along the bookshelf taking in the eclectic collection of literature until he reached the end.

 

Next to the bookshelf was a closet door, on the door hung a full body mirror. Red finally got a glimpse of himself, and that’s when he suddenly realized he wasn’t wearing his school uniform. He looked down at the long sleeve white button up shirt that was draped over him instead. The article of clothing was way too big on him and went mid-way down his femurs. Suddenly Red’s cheek bones began to glow softly. He wasn’t wearing pants. Or underwear. Or anything underneath. Red didn’t remember changing, so there could only be one explanation: Fell must have dressed him before putting him in his bed. **_‘Is this one of Fell’s shirts?’_** Red took a shaky hand and lifted the collar closer to his face. He could easily pinpoint Fell’s cologne on the shirt and the realization made his cheek bones glow brightly in the dark room.

 

He was in Fell’s house, in Fell’s room, had been sleeping in Fell’s bed, wearing one of Fell’s shirts. The small skeleton began to shake with nervousness.

 

A sudden thought came to Red, freezing his panic attack before it could escalate. Fell had been very kind to him (all things considered). He had taken Red home and cared for him, tended his wounds, let him rest, fed him. Red rubbed his sternum where he felt his soul hum. The thought of what all Fell must have done for him made Red’s soul swell with a new emotion. Admiration? Gratitude? No. Whatever it was, it made him… happy. A small smile spread across his face. He should get dressed and thank Fell properly for everything he had done for him.

 

Red looked at the closet in front of him. It was possible Red’s clothes were in there, or at least a pair of pants he could borrow. With a turn of the nob, Red swung open the closet door and immediately froze before stepping into the walk in.

 

This was… He had no words.  

 

The closet was not filled with clothes, rather hung up across the walls were various chains, whips, cuffs, and other accessories that Red was not familiar with. He felt sweat begin to drip down his skull. This was a torcher closet. The Closet of Pain, Red dubbed in his head. Red’s eyes scanned over the different sized dildos and vibrators on one wall to the leather bed straps that hung neatly on the other. Ever so slowly, Red closed the door to the closet then carefully backed away a few steps. Red had heard about people having skeletons in their closet but this was ridiculous! Red figured Fell had a dominance kink of some kind based off their first experience, but this was extreme.

 

Red suddenly did not feel like staying in the bedroom anymore, pants or no pants it didn’t matter. Red slowly made his way out of the deceiving simple looking bedroom and made his way down a hallway. After turning a corner he was greeted with a large open concept living, dining, and kitchen area. Red scanned the room and realized that this was a high end condo, and on one of the top stories of a high rise. An entire wall of glass surrounded by huge sliding doors looked out to the city skyline, the lights shinning magnificently in the night. The view was incredible.

 

“I see that you’re feeling better.”

 

Red jumped a little and his attention was brought to the large leather sectional in the living room where Fell sat, a book in his hands. Finally seeing Fell and remembering he wasn’t alone in the house made Red nervous once more. He tentatively nodded his head towards the taller skeleton as he gripped at the sleeves of the shirt.

 

Fell’s expression softened and a small twinge of relief fell over him. He set his book down and crossed one leg over the other as he rested more causally on the large sofa. “Come sit, we have to talk.” Fell patted the seat next to him.

 

Red walked forward towards the large leather couch and looked at all the other open spots he could sit. A small growl caught his attention and he looked back at Fell who was eyeing him expectantly, once again patting the spot next to him. Guess that decision was made for him. The small skeleton moved and sat next to Fell, keeping his body stiff and his hands in his lap.

 

Fell couldn’t help but let a small smirk spread across his face. Red was so obedient. Now to see if his obedient behavior continued.

 

“Are you ready to tell me who hurt you?”

 

Red flinched and gripped at the sleeves harder. He shut his eyes tight and shook his head. No, he wasn’t going to tell Fell. He had already decided. He was not going to burden anyone with his problems. Doggo was his problem, all the bullying, the beatings, he could handle it on his own.

 

Fell’s eye twitched with annoyance, the only thing giving away his true feelings behind his stone cold expression. So much for the continued obedient behavior. Maybe he hasn’t asserted his dominance as much as he thought. Pets needed to be taught who the alpha was, they needed to be put in their place. Then Red would tell him whatever he wanted to know.

 

“I feel as though this subject is not up for debate with you.” Fell raised a brow bone as he inspected the nervous skeleton next to him.

 

Red nodded his head as he held his ground.

 

“I see. I guess that means I’m going to have to _make_ you talk.” Fell stood and swiftly walked into his bedroom, leaving Red to sit quietly and confused on the couch. Should he join? Should he wait here? Red didn’t have too much time to ponder over it as Fell came back out shortly after. “Close your eyes.” He demanded and Red shut them immediately, not even thinking about it.

 

Red heard little jingles of mettle before feeling Fell’s skeletal hands slide over his neck. The smaller skeleton’s breath hitched in his throat, unsure what Fell was going to do. Would he hurt him for disobeying? Was he angry that he refused to tell Fell who his abuser was? The hand around his throat did not squeeze nor tighten, but instead began to rub gently along his vertebrae. A shiver ran up his spine at the sensation. The ministrations slowly turned from gentle rubs to a full on massage. Red couldn’t help but let out a soft moan as the tension was eased away from his neck. He could feel Fell’s hot breath against his teeth and wanted so badly to lean forward and close the space between them. He could feel his cheeks burn, positive they were glowing at this point. Fell’s other hand soon joined in and began rubbing down his clavicle, moving out to spread over his scapula. Red’s body turned limp as he leaned into Fell. These gentle touches were astounding, nothing like he had felt before. He never expected Fell to be so gentle with him. Red was torn. He loved when Fell hurt him, but he also loved when Fell was gentle with him, like he was now. Suddenly the hands moved away and Red felt a leather material wrap around his neck. His soul stilled in his chest. His mind racing back to the images of Fell’s closet. Fuck, he knew this was too good to be true. Fell was mad, he was going to hurt him. Using The Closet of Pain and those kinky toys. He was going to torture him.

 

“Shhh… Breathe…” Fell leaned in and ran his tongue across the small portion of neck that wasn’t covered by the cloth.

 

Red gasped and let out a low moan. His bones overstimulated from the massage and with the sharp contrast of the wet tongue it his nerves alight. Red began to breathe normally after being forced to suck in air.

 

“You can open your eyes now.”

 

Red blinked a few times before focusing in on Fell’s smug smile. He reached up and touched the leather cloth around his neck. It was firm, yet the inside of the cloth touching his neck was soft. His phalanges traced over the front feeling sharp spikes. He froze. Wait a minute… His bony fingers ran down a mettle clasp to a mettle tag that dangled above his clavicle. The cool mettle would occasionally rub against the bone causing a small shiver to flutter across his torso. This was a…

 

“Your collar.” Fell finished his thought for him.

 

“My… collar…?”

 

“You’re my pet. It’s about time I put one on you.” Fell’s finger slipped up through the collar as he yanked the small skeleton forward, their mouths crushing together in a deep kiss. Red mewled into the kiss, his tongue instantly materializing to rub against Fell’s. He could feel Fell’s arm slip around him and pull him up against the other skeleton. His body moved on its own as it arched into Fell, looking to feel every bone against his. The taller skeleton chuckled and broke the kiss. His gaze was fierce and intense. “You’re _mine_. You belong to me. No one touches you. No one is to even look at you. If anything ever happens, you come straight to me from now on… understand?”

 

Red’s soul fluttered in his chest and a shiver ran up his spine. Fell was dead serious. The look in his eyes left no room for debate. The small skeleton didn’t dare to try and defy him. Red stared into Fell’s eyes seeing how serious this was to the other skeleton. Slowly, Red gave a firm nod.  

 

“I’m sorry, what was that?” Fell raised his brow bones, knowing all well his new pet knew what he was expecting.

 

“Y-yes master.” Red’s voice was much shakier than his nod. But the confirmation was all the same.

 

“Good boy.” Fell pushed the smaller skeleton down onto the couch and towered over him, his hand snaking up Red’s exposed femurs to his pelvic bone. Red let out a gasp and gripped the couch as his professor began to rub his pubic arch. His bones shook as he tried to hold back his moans. “Now, for your punishment. You didn’t really think you’d get away with disobeying me, did you?” Red looked up at Fell with wide eyes. “School is about to start in a few hours. Let’s test how well you can obey orders.”

 

__________________________

 

Rus and Sans let out large duo yawns as they sprawled over their table in chemistry, dark circles shaded their eye sockets making them look more like Halloween decorations rather than skeleton monsters. They had been out all night scowering the university looking for Red. They even checked his apartment in hopes to find that maybe the small nervous skeleton just went home to rest. That excursion was quite the ordeal. It mostly consisted of Sans keeping hold of Rus’ soul so the taller skeleton wouldn’t lunge at Doggo. After a heated argument, the two barged into the apartment but found Red’s room to be empty. All their searching and they had nothing to show for. They wanted to keep looking, but when Papyrus found the two practically passed out near the football field, he forced them to go home. He even slept over and made dinner for the two, knowing they had exhausted all their magic from teleporting place to place. Papyrus knew how important Red was to them, and even the jock skeleton seemed incredibly worried about Red’s disappearance, but he had made sure Sans and Rus hadn’t dusted themselves by exhaustion in a fruitless effort to locate their missing friend.

 

“Maybe he slept in the student center. Maybe he moved around and we just kept missing him?” Sans offered as he laid his head in his folded arms that currently acted as his makeshift pillow.

 

Rus moved and leaned back in his chair, his hoodie turned around so his face was covered by the orange hood. “That has to be it.” Rus’ voice was muffled by the hood.

 

Sans absentmindedly scanned the classroom as students filled up the seats, preparing for class to start. “Because, there’s no way he… he…” Sans couldn’t finish the sentence, the thought of their friend walking off to some secluded spot to fall down was too much to bear.

 

Suddenly Sans eye sockets widened as he caught sight of the classroom door opening, and in walked a miracle.

 

Red awkwardly walked towards the table and sat down wordlessly. He then pulled out his notebook and pencils, his posture unusually stiff. Red looked somewhat normal. He was wearing the winter uniform a bit early. Instead of a sweater vest, the winter uniform consisted of a button up shirt with a long sleeve cream colored sweater. Ties were optional. Other than the change in outfit the skeleton himself looked perfectly fine. The only thing off about him was the way he walked and how he refused to make eye contact with anyone.

 

Sans waited as he glared holes into the side of Red’s skull, blue magic fuming from his left eye socket, but still not enough to form the blue eye itself. He continued to wait for Red to notice them, to say something, anything! Like why the hell he hadn’t answered his phone and where the hell he had been all night.

 

Red continued to stay quiet, keeping his focus straight ahead, almost like he was actively ignoring the two next to him.

 

Finally Sans couldn’t take it anymore and exploded. “WHAT THE FUCK, RED?!”

 

Rus choked back a snore and jerked from his limp position in his seat, obvious he had fallen asleep. He pulled the hood down from his face and looked over to his side immediately spotting Red. “Red! Where have you been?!”

 

The nervous skeleton flinched and finally looked over to his friends, sweat pooling off his skull. “H-hey guys…” Red answered lamely.

 

“Don’t you hey us! Why didn’t you answer your phone? Why didn’t you let us know you were okay? Where were you? Why did you disappear on us?” Rus had to hold Sans around his middle to keep the skeleton from practically jumping into Red’s lap and point and accusing finger in his face.

 

Red felt his soul sink. His phone had been dead for a while. Being busy with the science project and trying to avoid home meant he didn’t have access to a phone charger that often. He didn’t think the dead phone would matter considering his friends were constantly around him. And he didn’t intend on passing out and spending the night at Fell’s. He fully intended on grabbing his homework and coming right back. Once he had woken up at Fell’s place, well… Red wasn’t in the position to be making any phone calls. Honestly the thought never crossed his mind. He was a little preoccupied… “I’m really sorry you guys… I went to quickly grab my homework from my elective class and well… I kind of ended up passing out… I should have called you guys as soon as I woke up, I’m sorry…” Red felt terrible. He could see the dark circles under his friend’s eye sockets. He knew they were probably worried sick about him. His soul pulsed painfully. He had caused his friends trouble yet again.

 

“You passed out? What happened, are you okay?” Sans immediately cooled off and switched to worried mode. He tried to reach for Red to look him over for any injuries that may be hidden by his clothes.

 

Red panicked and playfully swatted Sans hands away, but in his mind he was ready to teleport if Sans pressed it any further. “I’m fine! Professor Fell took care of me and I’m all better!”

 

“Professor who?” Rus finally chimed in from behind Sans.

 

_Shit_.

 

Red’s pupils turned to pinpricks and a nervous sweat began to drip down his skull. Shit fuck damn! He just blurted out about Fell! If he felt he needed to keep his literature class a secret before he really fucking needed to keep it a secret now! Now that he was fucking his professor.

 

“Uh… w-well um…” Red’s phalanges began to shake as he held them in fists on his lap.

 

“Alright class, open to page 453 of your textbooks.” The teacher announced as he began writing equations on the board, signaling class had started.

 

Red let out a small sigh of relief as he opened his textbook and quickly focused in on studying.

 

Sans and Rus easily let the subject drop. They were just glad their friend was safe. They couldn’t stay mad at Red for long and they knew it wasn’t his fault, he didn’t mean to worry them. The two soon joined in paying attention to the lecture. Although it didn’t take long for Rus to flip his hood back up and fall back asleep, same for Sans as he flopped his head down onto his open text book. Red smiled softly at the sight. He was right. His friends were up all night worried about him. He’d be sure to take extra detailed notes for the three of them, he figured the two could use the nap. 

Red soon began to lose himself in the lecture, focusing hard in order to stay on top of his studies. He was in the middle of writing down an equation when it happened… Red pressed down hard and the lead of his mechanical pencil snapped. Very softly, underneath Red’s clothing it could be heard.

 

*BUZZZZ*

 

No, no no no. Not here. Not now.

 

Red’s cheeks burned bright crimson and his bones began to shake. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening. Red’s mind began to haze over as he recalled the events of this morning.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Fell’s mouth was all over the smaller skeleton’s body, covering every bone with bites and licks. He grazed his sharp teeth over the sensitive lower ribs while his hand continued to rub Red’s pubic arch. Red could hardly keep himself together as he gripped at the couch beneath him, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. He was losing control of his magic as it began to manifest at his pelvis. Fell grinned seeing his pet come undone by his hands as he molded the freshly conjured magic into a slick entrance. With two fingers, Fell tested the newly formed pussy and was pleased to find it just as tight as before.

 

He would have to loosen the skeleton up for his pan to work though. Quickly, Fell began to thrust his fingers in and out of the slick hole, filling the room with loud squelches from his ministrations. Wanting to make quick work with their short time before school, the taller skeleton grabbed the other’s spine with his free hand. He began to rub the spine, stroking along every dip and ridge. Red bit down on his hand as he tried to muffle his moans as they came out louder than ever. His eyes shut tight as his body was attacked with waves of pleasure. Seeing this, Fell leaned down and joined the assault on Red’s wet pussy by licking the swollen clit. After a few long, languid licks Fell moved in and took the nub in his mouth, sucking hard.

 

“Ahhh! Yes! Don’t stop!” Red cried out and clawed at the leather couch, the cloth squeaking in protest. His legs shook as the familiar warmth pooled at his pelvis.

 

Bingo. Fell smirked and immediately pulled away, stopping all ministrations.

 

Red panted hard, his face completely flushed as he looked up at Fell questioningly. “W-why did you stop?”

 

Fell’s smile only stretched further across his sharp teeth as he reached for a box on the side table. He pulled out a metal stick. It was thicker than a pen, but not by much.

 

Red’s eye sockets widened. He wasn’t going to stick that inside him was he?

 

Fell’s eye glowed as magic began to pool at the stick. Once the red magic had all collected, it solidified into a small dildo.

 

Red eyed the object curiously.

 

Fell didn’t give Red much time to look at the object as he leaned down and quickly slipped the dildo inside Red’s dripping entrance. The smaller skeleton gasped and bit back a moan. The dildo wasn’t too big, bigger than Fell’s fingers, but he was so wet from the teasing before that the object had no problem sliding right in. It didn’t hurt, just felt uncomfortable with it just sitting there.

 

“I want you to keep that inside you all day while you’re at school.”

 

“What?!” Red’s eyes vanished from his sockets as a nervous sweat already began to form on his skull.

 

“This is your punishment.” Fell held up a small key-chain remote. He huffed in amusement as he pressed a button and the dildo began to vibrate.

 

“W-what is-ahhh!” Red’s cheeks burned brighter as the dildo vibrated inside him, shaking his pelvic bone and stimulating him further.

 

“You are to go about your day as normal. No skipping class, no hiding in the bathroom, and do not under any circumstance remove it.” Fell’s voice dipped lower at the last demand, emphasizing its importance.

 

“I can’t I-“

 

Fell pressed another button and the vibrations grew stronger.

 

“Ahh F-fuck, Nnnh!” Red bit down on his tongue hard as his head rolled back onto the couch, his whole body shook as shivers of pleasure rippled up his spine from his pelvis.

 

“You will do as I say.” Fell grabbed hold of Red’s collar and yanked him up so their faces were inches apart. His stare burned into Red’s soul making the little heart shaped object pulse with excitement.

 

“Y-yes, master.” Red stared back as his bones burned for Fell’s touch. His gaze alone was enough to make his soul hum with desire.

 

“Good boy.” Fell leaned in and captured Red’s mouth in a deep kiss, taking his tongue and sucking on the appendage. He could taste the dribbles of magic where Red’s sharp teeth bit down too hard in his attempts to muffle his moans. Fell learned a lot about his new pet. He was a determined little shit. But he would break him of that soon enough.

 

“Oh and one more thing. You are not allowed to touch yourself or cum unless I say so.” Fell’s smug expression grew as Red’s eyes widened at the extra rule.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Red’s face began to glow as the vibrations from the magic encased dildo reverberated over his pelvis. The vibration was soft and luckily his clothes and conjured entrance muffled the sound from traveling too far. He shifted some more in his seat, trying to find a spot that would be more comfortable when he suddenly moved the wrong way and the dildo slid up even further. “Nnnh!” Red bit down on his pencil trying to keep his moans from escaping.

 

**_‘Oh shit! Please let no one have heard me.’_ **

****

Red dared a glance over at his friends and was pleased to find they were still fast asleep. He thanked every deity he could think of for the unfortunate series of events that led to his friends passing out in class.

 

Slowly, Red reached up and unbuttoned the top two buttons of his shirt, he then gently ran his phalanges over the red collar still situated around his neck. Feeling the material over his bony fingers reminded him of Fell and his demands. He couldn’t leave class and he couldn’t rub one off to cool his heated bones. Red looked forward back up to the white board and willed his mind to stay focused on the lecture.

 

Little waves of pleasure began pulsing from his pelvis, the continued vibrations stimulating his already swollen clit. Red began to pant softly, trying to find some way to calm his nerves. In the back of his mind he wondered why he was even fallowing along with Fell’s orders. The other skeleton wasn’t here, how would he know?

 

An image of Fell’s stern gaze flashed in his mind, sending a shiver up the smaller skeleton’s spine.

 

Red’s face burned hotter as he came to the answer to his own question. He loved this. He was incredibly turned on at the situation. He loved the way Fell ordered him around. Red couldn’t help but let out a small chuckle. He really was a dirty pervert. Getting off on anything Fell did to him.

 

Suddenly the vibrations intensified.

 

Red lowered his head onto his arm, biting on the sleeve of his cream colored sweater as he moaned into the cloth. Stars he hoped he wasn’t drawing attention to himself. But he wasn’t going to dare risk looking around to see. The heat at his pelvis was intense. His magic buzzed with sensitivity. He was still riled up from this morning. And now this.

 

The vibrations increased even more and Red buried his face harder against his arm, bringing the other one to wrap around his skull. He began to moan and pant softly, unable to control the sounds coming out of him. Fuck he hoped his arms were doing a good enough job to muffle everything. The pleasure was building, he could feel the pool of warmth gathering at his neither region. Red squeezed his eyes shut trying to hold back his orgasm. He couldn’t come, Fell didn’t say he could yet. His conjured pussy pulsed in protest and he could feel his wetness dampening the crotch of his pants. Fuck he was so close.

 

Red’s hips began to move on their own as he rutted forward in his seat, desperate for any form of stimulation. No! He can’t cum, not yet. Red whimpered as his magic burned hotter, his conjured pussy throbbing with need. Stars he wanted to cum so bad. Red clawed at the table as his hips continued to rock. He could feel his precum slipping past his pussy lips, sure that he was making a mess inside his pants. Suddenly, the dildo moved and was rammed deeper inside Red, hitting his sweat spot in the back.

 

“Ahhh!”

 

*COUGH COUGH COUGH*

 

Red’s entire skull began to glow a bright crimson. He turned his head and saw that Rus was pounding on his sternum, still letting out little coughs, his cheeks had a light dusting or orange.

 

“Are you alright Rus? Do you need to excuse yourself for a glass of water?” The teacher asked at the front of the class. Red looked around the room and saw that most of the students had looked up, their focus on the hoodie clad skeleton.

 

“Nah, I think I’m good now. Sorry.” Rus waved them off before leaning back in his seat, his hoodie was now turned in the right direction. The taller skeleton looked over at Red to see if he was okay.

 

Red realized that at some point Rus must have woken up and had been watching him through his ordeal. He was mortified. Knowing that the taller skeleton only began faking a coughing fit to hide his moans made the situation that much more embarrassing. Red lowered his head and mouthed ‘thank you’ before covering his face with his bony hands. Luckily Sans was still asleep, but he couldn’t bare his friends looking at him right now.

 

The vibrations stopped and Red was left to sit uncomfortably, his magic pushed to the limit, just moments away from cumming. His conjured entrance still pulsed with residual pleasure from being stimulated so far.

 

__________________

 

Once class was over, Red was ready to bolt over to Fell’s office. He didn’t think he could handle another round of being teased to the brink without crossing the finish line. He quickly stuffed all his notebooks in his bag and jumped out of his seat. Before he could move he felt a bony hand on his shoulder.

 

“Hey bud, you ready for lunch? Rus’ boyfriend is going to bring us a new dish he’s been working on. And Paps is going to come hang out with us too.” Sans winked and grinned at the thought of free food, also happy to have found a way to spend more time with Papyrus during their busy schedules.

 

Rus’s cheek bones began to glow a little brighter at the comment. “He’s not my boyfriend Sans. I don’t do relationships.”

 

“Fuck friend, whatever.”

 

“Sans…” Rus was glaring daggers into the smaller skeleton’s back.

 

“Uh well…” Red really wanted to go see Fell, but he couldn’t just ditch his friends. Especially after all the trouble he had caused them the other day.

 

“Yeah I’m ready.” Red caved as he relaxed his posture, then stiffening right back up when he felt dribbles of precum slide down his femur.

 

“Great, let’s head to the free lab.” Sans wrapped an arm around Red’s shoulder and the three of them left the classroom.

 

Once they reached the lab, the three of them were surprised to see Papyrus and Blue already there waiting. The two skeletons didn’t seem to notice Sans, Rus, and Red as they were engaged in a heated discussion about all the different dishes they knew how to make.

 

Both Sans and Rus let out a small chuckle as a warm smile spread across their face. Blue and Papyrus both looked so happy as they swapped recipes and cooking tips. The two energetic skeletons seemed to feed off each other’s enthusiasm as arms began to flail and laughter flooded the empty lab room.

 

Blue was the first to notice the three standing at the entrance and his face lit up even more. “Hey guys! Come on over, today’s special is spaghetti tacos!” His eyes morphed to stars as he held up a container containing his homemade concoction.  

 

In the background Papyrus squealed with delight.

 

Red, Sans, and Rus shared worried glances before shrugging their shoulders and heading into the lab to join the others. Blue dished out the new item for all to try and surprisingly enough it wasn’t bad. The skeleton monsters all ate their meal happily, engaging in friendly chit chat with one another. Sans sat in Papyrus’s lap as he munched away on his spaghetti taco, occasionally making a joke causing the jock skeleton to almost spit his food out in laughter. Blue hugged onto Rus’ arm as he watched the others enjoy his cooking. Rus would occasionally hold his spaghetti taco out for Blue to take a bite of, making sure the professor ate as well. Red sat straight as a board as he ate his food, mentally chanting a prayer that the vibrations on the dildo wouldn’t turn on during the lunch break.

 

“Hey Red, you okay? You look a little nervous.” Blue questioned as he noticed Red’s stiff posture and constant sweat beading off his skull.

 

“He’s just a little tired is all, haven’t been sleeping much.” Rus offered before Red could speak. He figured Red was having a wet dream during class the way he woke up and caught the smaller skeleton’s head down and soft moans escaping his covered face. He knew Red, and he knew the nervous skeleton wouldn’t want to be put on the spot. And from the looks of it, he was still affected by the after heat of whatever dream he was having.

 

Red smiled gratefully at Rus. His friends really knew how to look out for him, even if they had no idea what was going on just inside his pants. “Y-yeah, what Rus said.”

 

“Oh well in that case have another spaghetti taco! You need more calories if you’re going to run on less and optimal amounts of sleep.” Blue smiled thoughtfully as he walked over to Red and held out the container of spaghetti tacos.

 

“T-thanks…” Red tentatively reached out to grab another taco.

 

Blue froze. As Red leaned over to grab another taco from the container, his slightly opened button up shirt showed the red collar underneath. Blue’s sockets widened as recognition hit him. That was the collar Fell bought. His mind raced a mile a minute as he recalled their conversation in the store.

 

**_“Fell, do you have a pet?”_ **

**_“I do.”_ **

****

Memories of Fell’s intense gaze on Red in front of his office played through Blue’s mind.

 

**_“I didn’t know you had a pet! When did this happen?”_ **

**_“I got him just recently.”_ **

****

Blue stared at Red as he remembered catching the last moments of Fell pulling the other skeleton into his office by his tie.

 

**_“Awe! What’s he like? Is he cute?”_ **

**_“Yes he’s quite cute. As for what he is like… he’s obedient.”_ **

****

Blue’s grip on the container tightened. Fell had a pet. Not a fluffy white dog. A _pet_. And this student was it.

 

Fell had found a new pet to play with.

 

Once Red had grabbed his taco, Blue kept his head down and he walked away from the other skeleton. He set the container down on a table as he stared into its contents absentmindedly. His thoughts running through his head with no discernible direction. Fell found a pet. He was fucking someone else. Blue didn’t understand why, but the thought made his soul pulse with an uncomfortable emotion. He figured Fell had fucked Red, at least once. It was obvious the way they two were acting the other day at his office. But… He didn’t know Fell had made Red his pet. That was something completely different from a onetime fuck. Blue raised his bony hand and began to rub at his sternum where his soul resided.

 

He looked over his shoulder to look back at Red. The small skeleton was sitting on the floor with the others laughing at some joke Sans made. Although his posture was stiff, he was still smiling with the rest of them. Rus had moved to sit next to his nervous friend. After another joke from Sans, Red chimed in to add his own pun. Rus laughed and wrapped an arm around Red’s shoulder.

 

Blue flinched and felt his soul pulse again with the uncomfortable emotion, his grip on the container tightened to the point the plastic began to creek in protest.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this took longer than expected to release. Things happened and I was bed ridden for a week.  
> But now I'm better and excited to continue on with the story!
> 
> I always welcome your guys' feedback and suggestions. ♥


	9. Doing What's Best

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I wanted to share with you all some amazing fan art done by some really talented people. ♥
> 
> Stripeyskelesins did an incredible job drawing the pics sent to Blue in Ch 6  
> [ View here ](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)
> 
> Eunoriablithe did stunning work drawing scenes from Ch 8  
> [ View Here ](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)

 

Red sighed with relief as he made his way across campus to the arts center. He was grateful that lunch went over smoothly with no vibrating interruptions. He was also incredibly thankful for having such intuitive friends. Rus had made no mention of the incident in chemistry class, no hidden comment, no joke. There was a silent agreement among the two that they would never bring the subject up ever again. Red tried his best to walk normally as he made his way into the literature building. Fuck this dildo was getting uncomfortable! Maybe if he hurried, he could speak to Fell before any other students got to class. He was lucky that his slacks were black, the hid the wet spot on his crotch well enough, but he didn’t think the dark cloth would be able to hide anymore stains if the teasing continued.

 

Red sped up his awkward power walk and swung open the door to his literature class, shoulders slumping as he looked inside. Fuck… there were already students in the room. Maybe he could ask Fell to speak privately? Red then began to scan around the room, his grin turning down as he noticed Fell wasn’t even here yet. So much for getting the damn dildo out of him any time soon. The small gruff looking skeleton began to grumble to himself as he made his way to his seat. If anyone ever dared sit next to Red before, they were sure as hell going to avoid him now. As students began to fill the room they started to actively avoid the area around the angry looking skeleton. The aura around Red screamed ‘piss off’.

 

Red sighed as he tried to cool his temper. Slowly his hand rose to his neck and his phalanges brushed against the red leather collar. The tip of his bony finger unconsciously traced along the tag dangling in front his clavicle. Vaguely, he could feel the engravings of the letter ‘F’. Red’s hand froze and his soul pulsed. He really hadn’t given the collar much thought till now. He figured the collar was just another sex toy from The Closet of Pain. He didn’t notice the engraving before. His finger continued to rub against the ‘F’. This collar… it wasn’t just a sex toy. Fell really had _claimed_ him. The realization made his cheeks dust a soft red. His mind began to race, trying to rationalize the tag’s meaning. What was he to Fell? Was he just a sex pet? Were they nothing more? Did he want there to be more between him and Fell? Red’s fingers slipped up and gripped the collar, the spikes poking into his bony hand. The thought of someone wanting Red, even if it was just for sex, made his soul swell. For so long he was taught he was worthless, that no one would want a useless, pathetic monster such as himself. This idea had been literally beaten into him time and time again. And now… suddenly someone wanted him. They wanted him so much that they had put a collar on him. Red’s cheeks began to glow brighter as he recalled Fell’s face after he slipped the collar on him. **_“You’re mine. You belong to me. No one touches you. No one is to even look at you. If anything ever happens, you come straight to me from now on… understand?”_** Fell had looked so serious, so intense. Red gripped his collar tighter as his soul pulsed stronger.

 

“Good afternoon class.”

 

Red’s head shot up. He had been so lost in his thoughts he hadn’t heard Fell enter the classroom. He quickly moved his hand away from the collar and looked down at the table. He wanted to talk to Fell so badly before, but now he couldn’t look at him. He rubbed his sternum gently in hopes to calm his soul. He needed to relax and focus on the lesson. He’d talk to Fell once class was over.

 

Fell kept his eyes on Red as he set his papers and laptop down. His pet looked lost in thought, gripping his new collar. His sockets narrowed as he tried to decipher what the other was thinking. Red didn’t look upset about the collar. No, in fact he actually looked happy. The sight sent a pleasant emotion through Fell’s soul. Looks like he was right to trust his instincts in choosing Red. His new pet was obviously enjoying being owned.

 

“Everyone get out pen and paper for notes. Remember to look for the differences between the book and the movie, you will be discussing the changes of the adaptation in your report.” Fell instructed as he set up the projector and started the film The Great Gatsby.

 

Red couldn’t help his head cocking to the side in confusion at Fell’s words. A movie? This wasn’t like Fell’s teaching style at all. It’s not like Red had ever asked Fell’s opinion on the matter, he just figured Fell wasn’t the kind of professor to use movies in his curriculum. Most professors used movies as a last resort method. Or an ‘I need a few hours to catch up on grading so shut up and watch this movie’ method. Although, Red wasn’t complaining. A small smiled crept onto his skull. A few hours in the dark with a movie to numb his overloaded mind was just what he needed. The small skeleton relaxed in his seat as the lights to the class turned off and the movie began.

 

Fell took a seat at his desk in the front corner of the classroom, a new book in his hand. He adjusted his glasses before flipping to a new page.

 

Red couldn’t help but continuously glance over at Fell. So no papers needed grading? They were watching a movie for the hell of it, just to write a report that wasn’t previously listed on the syllabus? He guessed even Fell got tired of teaching sometimes. Red decided he wouldn’t question the tiny vacation any further as he leaned over his desk, resting his skull in his hands as he focused on the movie.

 

About 45 minutes into class and Red’s sockets began to droop. He had already read the book and watched the movie before, so none of this was new to him. Red could see from the corner of his eye that half the students had either already fallen asleep, or were engrossed in their cell phones. It wasn’t that The Great Gatsby was a boring movie, it was just that they were over stressed students and they got their sleep wherever they could. Red looked back at Fell and saw that he too was on his phone.

 

Okay, what the hell was that?! Now he knew Fell was acting strange. The professor Fell he knew didn’t let his students slack off, and he sure as hell didn’t slack off himself. Something was up. The small skeleton’s eyes narrowed in on his professor.

 

Red kept his gaze on Fell, trying to see if he could find any clues and to why Fell was acting so strange. Fell had placed his phone back down on his desk, giving it one last annoyed glance before turning back to his book. Well that was odd. He wondered what caused Fell to make that face. What was on that text? From what Red could see, other than that one moment with his phone, the other skeleton seemed completely normal. Then why was he-

 

*BUZZZZ*

 

Oh no.

 

Red’s pupils shrank to pin pricks looking down at his lap as he sat completely still. The vibrations began to travel across his pelvic bone, stirring up his once calmed magic. Frantically, he looked up at Fell and saw the other skeleton staring right back at him, his sharp teeth pulled up into an amused smirk. Fucking hell! Red didn’t have friends in this class, he would have no one to cover for him if he couldn’t hold back his moaning.

 

Fell kept his gaze on the nervous skeleton in front of him. He figured he had teased his pet enough for one day, he’d finally let him have his big finish, _If_ he told him what he wanted to know. While keeping eye contact with Red, Fell mouthed out ‘Who hurt you?’.

 

Red struggled to read Fell’s silent question, the vibrations causing his mind to fog over. Who… Who hurt you? Red’s sockets widened. Oh shit… He didn’t know what to do. He had promised himself he wouldn’t tell Fell, he didn’t want to burden his professor with his personal problems. Red’s mind banked as he struggled to come up with a solution, the increasing waves of pleasure clouding his higher thinking ability. 

 

Fell’s sockets narrowed at the lack of response from Red. So he wanted to do this the hard way. He would teach his pet a lesson for disobeying him yet again. Fell moved the key-chain remote to his lap under his desk and pressed the button again.

 

A shiver ran up Red’s spine as the dildo began to vibrate stronger. He gripped at his notebook as tremors of pleasure began to run across his bones. His conjured entrance began to grow slick once again, his precum coating the object completely. Red looked around the room to make sure no one could hear the ever increasing vibrations inside him. He let a sigh of relief escape when he saw the students were all still either asleep or focused on the movie.

 

Slowly, Red could feel the dildo moving inside of him, the object pulling out and pushing back in steadily. Almost as if it were being thrusted inside of him.

 

Wait, what?

 

Red conjured his tongue and bit the appendage hard as the dildo continued to move in and out of his wet entrance. The smaller skeleton struggled to bite back his moans and focus on what was happening. It all made sense now. This wasn’t an ordinary dildo. This was a vibrator encased in magic, Fell’s magic. And Fell was manipulating the object. A small moan escaped Red’s clenched jaw as the dildo thrusted into him harshly as if to confirm his thoughts. Stars this was too much! As if the vibrations weren’t problem enough, now the object was moving, stimulating him further.

 

Suddenly, the dildo began to grow and stretch his sensitive walls. “Ahh!” Red bit back down on his tongue harder after letting the loud moan slip. He was grateful the movie was playing loud music. It sounded like a party scene. He could feel the dildo continue to grow and stretch him further. Had he not been teased all day this would probably have been painful, but after all the constant stimulation the new size of the dildo made Red feel pleasantly full. 

 

Red raised his eye lights back up to Fell and saw him moving ever so slightly. Unless someone was focusing on Fell they wouldn’t notice, but Red did. His eyes were locked with Fell’s and the other skeleton’s heated stare sent his soul pounding. His hips were moving under the desk and he could see a light sheen of sweat on his professor’s skull.

 

So using his magic like this was affecting him too.

 

Fell mouthed once more ‘Who hurt you?’

 

Red shook his head. He couldn’t-

 

“Ahh-Mmm!” Red felt the dildo vibrate stronger as the thrusting began to speed up. The jarring movements caused his hips to rock in his seat. Stars this felt amazing! Red leaned over his desk as his phalanges scraped at the wood. His face flushed bright red, almost illuminating the dark class room. He couldn’t hold back as his tongue lulled out and he panted heavily. His eyes still locked with Fell’s intense gaze.

 

Fell watched his pet dissolve into a puddle of pants and moans in his seat. He reached over to his laptop and turned up the volume to the movie, the exciting dance music of the film flooded the whole classroom. Fell began to grunt softly as he thrusted harder into Red, his eye alight with magic.

 

Red panted and moaned as the dildo continued to pound into him. The vibrations shot waves of pleasure up his spine and his conjured pussy clenched the magic encased dildo tighter. Stars he was already so close. Red kept his desperate, hazy stare with Fell. ‘Please let me cum.’

 

‘Who hurt you?’ Fell began to speed up, his sockets squinting as he felt Red’s entrance squeezing and pulsing around his magic.

 

Red shook his head again, his pelvic bone buzzing with the gathering heat. He was almost there.

 

Suddenly Fell stopped moving and the vibrations ceased.

 

Red’s sockets widened as he looked at Fell pleadingly.

 

Fell was panting softly, but his stern gaze did not waver. He wasn’t going to budge on this.

 

Red’s phalanges began to shake. ‘Please!’

 

Fell only smirked, but otherwise stayed completely still.

 

“Please!” Red whispered, his voice shaky.

 

Fell’s eye began to simmer and Red could feel the dildo slowly shrink in size.

 

No, fuck no! Not again.

 

“My roommate!” Red whispered as loud as he could without anyone else nearby hearing.

 

Fell smirked and his eye ignited with new found vigor. ‘Good boy.’

 

The dildo regrew in size and the vibrations continued at full force. “Ahh yes!” Red muffled his mouth with a bony hand as the dildo began to thrust back into him erratically. It pounded deep and fast making the vibrations run across his pelvis and down his femurs. Red felt drool dripping down his chin as his eyes rolled back in his sockets. “More! Don’t Stop!” Red didn’t even care if anyone heard him at this point as the heat pooled at his conjured entrance. His hips rocked in his seat and he could feel his bony fingers scraping indents into the wood of the table. Red forced himself to focus back on Fell and saw the other skeleton grunting softly, his intense gaze never once leaving the small skeleton. Red’s eyes pleaded the question for him as his soul pulsed in his rib cage.

 

Fell’s sharp smile grew as he finally mouthed the words Red had been begging for. ‘Cum for me.’

 

There it was.

 

Red bit down on his sleeve as his bones shook with his orgasm. He moaned into the cloth as he came hard around the dildo inside of him, clenching the object tightly as he rode out his climax.

 

Fell shut his sockets tight as he felt Red clench down on his magic, his slick walls pulsing around him. With a long grunt he finally released, his magic spurting deep inside Red.

 

The small skeleton shivered as he felt the dildo release inside him, filling him up further. With his strength sapped Red rested his head down on his arms. His magic had been constantly manifested all day with the teasing. He was completely exhausted. Red nervously glanced around the room as well as he could with his head down. He was relieved to see no one was looking at him. **_‘Sweet mustard thank you.’_** Now that he wasn’t lost in the heat of pleasure he noticed the movie was unusually loud, the loud scores of the film almost vibrating the room’s walls. Red couldn’t help as his cheeks began to glow with the thought of Fell using the movie to cover for him. Slowly his sockets began to droop. He would take a quick little nap before heading back to the lab.

 

________________________

 

Blue let out a long sigh as students began to pack up their bags and file out of the classroom. Today’s lecture was unusually difficult for the normally energetic professor. Blue couldn’t seem to stay focused no matter how hard he tried. Eventually he gave up half way through the class and allowed the students to create an open conversation about the controversial medical procedures of the past. Students would comment their opinion, and the class would occasionally turn into a heated debate. Blue was mostly sitting at his desk monitoring the students and intervening when the debates would morph into arguments, trying to keep things civil across the one hundred plus students. Blue mentally berated himself for his behavior. He was better than this. His students deserved better than this. Why was he so distracted?

 

Oh right… Red.

 

Blue’s mind couldn’t stop replaying the image of Red on the floor next to Rus, Fells collar hidden away under his uniform shirt and sweater. His sockets twitched as he recalled the way the Red would lean into Rus’ side when the other wrapped his arm around the smaller skeleton.

 

Why did this bother him so much? He and Fell had been broken up for a long time. It was a mutual break up, they both agreed to it. And Rus was just his friend. His student turned friend, nothing more. So what if Red was Fells new pet? So what if Red took up Rus’ attention more than him? Fell wasn’t his boyfriend, he was free to live his life the way he wanted, and that included fucking whoever he wanted. And it’s not like he was Rus’ only friend. The laid back skeleton had friends before he even knew Blue. Red just so happened to be there in Rus’ life before him. So what if this new skeleton had swooped in and practically replaced him overnight?

 

Blue froze.

 

That was it… He had been replaced.

 

The only two people in his life that he felt he had a real connection with chose Red over him.

 

It was that simple.

 

Blue sighed as he placed his bony hand against his sternum to try and calm the pained pulses emanating from his soul. He didn’t have romantic feelings for Fell, but he couldn’t help feeling a little hurt. For the longest time he and Fell had used each other to fill whatever void the other had. Be it Fell’s need for sex, or Blue’s desire for companionship. They had been best friends for years. He was always apart of Fell’s life, in some way or another. They were inseparable… or so he thought. Fell never told Blue about his new _pet_. He had all the opportunities to do so, but kept it a secret. Fell had a right to his own private life, sure he got that. But still… Why did he feel he had to keep it a secret from him?

 

Blue shut his eyes tight, he could feel tears of betrayal stinging at the corners of his sockets. For the first time in a long while Blue felt alone.

 

He had been replaced, and now he was alone.

 

This new discovery about Fell’s new pet wouldn’t be so bad if it wasn’t for…

 

Memories of Rus and Red laughing together continued to play through Blue’s mind like a tortuous broken record. The mental image sent a jolt of pain through his soul, stronger than the uncomfortable feeling when thinking about Red and Fell together. Why did this upset him so much? Why did this _hurt_? If Blue was honest with himself, he wouldn’t care that Fell and Red were together. He would be jumping for joy at the thought of his best friend finally finding someone to connect with, even if it was just with sex. But no, Red had to take _Rus_ too. He had taken everything from him. It wasn’t fair. Blue had worked so hard to be a positive light in Rus’ life. Blue wanted to be the one to make Rus smile like that. He wanted to be the one to make Rus laugh. He wanted to be the one Rus chose to wrap his arms around.  He wanted-

 

“Blue…?”

 

The small skeleton let out a little gasp as he looked up. Rus was standing over him with a concerned look etched on his face. He didn’t even notice his student come up to his desk. How long had he been lost in thought? With a quick glance around the room, he noted that all the other students had already left.

 

“Oh, hi Rus. Sorry, I’ll get my stuff ready and we’ll head to our study session.” Blue began quickly gathering his laptop and papers, making sure to keep his head down so the other skeleton couldn’t see the tears threatening to spill over. His teeth clanked shut as his mind continued to race.

 

**_‘Why didn’t you pick me?’_ **

****

“Blue.” Rus said more firmly, but the smaller skeleton didn’t pause.

 

**_‘Why don’t you look at me the same way you look at him?’_ **

****

“Wait… I forgot… you have your science project to work on.” Blue’s movements stopped completely and he felt his bones begin to shake. Now that he wasn’t moving around and busying himself, his emotions started crashing down on him. Rus was going to have to leave and go back to the lab. Back to his friends. Back to Red… Blue could feel his throat constricting and burning as he tried to hold back his tears.

 

**_‘Why can’t you see me?’_ **

****

“Blue!”

 

Blue finally broke from his trance and looked up at Rus. He felt bony fingers gently run across his cheeks and wipe away the tears that had unknowingly began to spill over. Rus was staring at him with a worried and hurt expression. He looked so gentle, so caring. Like the knight in shining armor who came to comfort the damsel in distress. And that’s when it dawned on him… Rus was there for him. Caring for him. Comforting him. Making him feel like he was the only person in Rus’ world. Rus made Blue happy, he kept him company, made him feel wanted, made him feel _loved_ …  

  

“Don’t…” Blue’s voice was shaky as more tears began to spill over.

 

**_‘Don’t look at me like that.’_ **

****

“Don’t what?” Rus leaned down and used the sleeve of his hoodie to gently wipe away the new tears.

 

**_‘Don’t look at me like you care about me. Like you want me.’_ **

****

“Blue what’s wrong?” Rus’ voice was soft, his soul reaching out, aching to comfort the smaller skeleton. Why was Blue so upset? What had caused this? He recalled Blue acting distant and strange towards the end of lunch, but he never would have guessed something was bothering the other skeleton so much to upset him like this. Slowly he reached out and wrapped his long arms around Blue, willing his soul to warm and comfort the other. He wanted nothing more than to protect Blue’s smile. It killed him to see the smaller skeleton like this. He wanted to see Blue happy, he deserved to be happy. Blue had done so much for him.

 

“Just don’t!” Blue shouted and shoved the taller skeleton away.

 

Rus froze. Slowly, he lowered his head and stayed still, his soul aching at the rejection. “Blue?”

 

“Just leave me alone! Go back to your friends!”

 

Rus flinched. “But… you are my friend. Blue, I’ll stay with you if you need. It’s okay, I’m right here for you. I’ll just text Sans and Red-“

 

“No! Don’t you get it?! We’re not friends! I can’t stand being around you!”

 

Rus’ soul twinged in pain and sent an uncomfortable wave of cold across his bones.

 

There was an unsettling silence between them. Neither one knowing what else to say.

 

Blue broke the still air first with a heavy sigh.

 

“I’m leaving…” The smaller skeleton stated as he grabbed his laptop and briefcase and silently left the class room.

 

Rus watched his professor leave the lecture hall, the door shutting loudly behind him making the empty room echo. The taller skeleton stood in the same spot, unmoving as time ticked by. His empty gaze focused on the closed door, the last place he saw Blue. Time stood still as Blue’s words echoed in his head.

 

Slowly, Rus raised an unsteady hand to his sternum, rubbing where his soul cried painfully. Under the large university hoodie, beneath his rib cage, his soul dimmed... 

 

_____________________

 

 

As Blue walked down the halls tears began to pour uncontrollably. He fought to hold himself together until he could reach his office. It was bad enough he was crying and Students were giving him odd looks, he didn’t want to have a full on break down in front of them. He power walked to the teacher’s area, ignoring his colleagues as they waved and greeted him. Finally Blue made it to his office. He quickly closed the door behind him before sliding down onto the floor. He covered his mouth with a bony hand as he finally let go and began to sob inconsolably. As his emotions poured out he ran over his thoughts in his mind, everything starting to fall into place and finally made sense.

 

No, he and Rus weren’t friends. Friends didn’t get jealous when they thought the other friend liked someone else. Friends didn’t pretend to be friends just to stay close to someone. Friends didn’t harbor secret feelings of affection for the other.

 

No, he couldn’t be Rus’ friend. It wasn’t right.

 

Blue could handle the thought of Fell being with whoever he wanted because Fell was just a friend to him. Yet he couldn’t handle the thought of Rus being with anyone else. The idea alone sent jolts of pain through his soul.

 

Without even realizing it, he had grown feelings for the laid back skeleton.

 

Blue rubbed his sockets with the palms of his hands as he tried to calm himself down. How was he supposed to stay by Rus’ side and pretend to be his friend? How was he supposed to act as if nothing was wrong when deep down he was using his friendship as a cover to stay close to the other skeleton. He couldn’t. It wouldn’t be right of him to, it would be selfish-

 

Blue gasped, realization dawning on him.

 

He was being selfish.

 

Rus was right all along. People are selfish. Blue was only pretending to be his friend so he could stay close to Rus. He had no intention of being a supportive friend if Rus ever found someone. He wouldn’t wish the best for them. He wouldn’t wish for their happiness.

 

Blue slumped as shame and guilt washed over him. What was he doing? What happened to trying to be a positive light in Rus’ life? What had he done? He selfishly shoved his way into the taller skeletons life and began to use him for his own selfish needs for companionship. Rus said he didn’t date, he didn’t have relationships. What the hell was he thinking? What, was the teller skeleton going to suddenly change his ways and fall in love with him if he stuck around long enough? Blue chuckled humorlessly at his own stupidity. Rus was better off being surrounded by friends, real friends. Friends who didn’t secretly like him and use him for their own personal gain. Blue couldn’t help as his hand rubbed at his sternum, his soul pulsing painfully in protest to the thought of being away from Rus. He smiled weakly at the dull, throbbing pain. He was already so attached. How didn’t he see it before?

 

Blue made up his mind. Ignoring his soul’s painful protests, he decided he would do what was best for Rus, and stay away from him.

 

_______________________

 

Red slowly stirred in his sleep, taking him a while till he could finally blink open his sockets. The small skeleton let out a little yawn and he stretched across the wood bench, his joints popping with his movements. He felt a heavy cloth on his back and shoulders slide with him as he moved. Curiously, Red glanced over his shoulder and spotted a black leather jacket draped over him. He stared at the article of clothing for a while till his tired brain finally caught up with him. He reached up and pulled the leather jacket closer to his frame, the familiar cologne wafting to his nasal cavity. The jacket smelled just like Fell. Wait a minute. Red sat up and looked around the now empty class room. Shit, how long had he been asleep for?

 

The sound of papers rustling caught his attention and Red turned his head towards the front of the room. There sat Fell at his desk, his thin glasses hugging his skull as he poured over papers, occasionally scribbling something on them with his pen. Red’s cheek bones began to glow softly as he realized Fell must have placed his jacket on him and watched over him as he slept. Slowly, Red stood from his seat and flinched as pain radiated from his pelvic bone. He should have figured that would happen. As he stood he heard the clink of something metal hitting the floor. He glanced down and saw the vibrator had fallen out the leg of his pants. He figured as such would happen since there was no more magic holding it in place. Red’s cheek bones began to glow brighter and he reached down and picked up the object of his torture, careful of his sore lower half.

 

“Just put it back in its container.” Fell pointed to the small box on his desk while he continued to look over his papers.

 

Red walked up towards Fell’s desk, his movements still somewhat awkward. He didn’t have the dildo inside him anymore, but he could feel the mess he made in his pants. Red gently placed the vibrator back in its box and closed the lid, grateful to be over with his punishment. Punishment… wait. The small skeleton stiffened as he glanced over at Fell. He remembered now. In his desperate attempts to reach his orgasm he had blurted out the identity of his abuser. Red watched the taller skeleton curiously. What was he planning to do now that he knew?

 

Fell glanced up from his work and saw Red staring at him. The taller skeleton let out a small huff of amusement. Red was still clinging to his jacket like a lifeline. He didn’t even think the nervous skeleton was aware he was doing it. His pet was just standing there, waiting obediently for orders. “Can I help you?”

 

“Um, I was just wondering w-what your plans were, n-now that you know my r-roommate-“

 

“Everything will be taken care of. You need not worry.”

 

Red’s sockets widened. What did Fell mean by that? Was he going to get Doggo in trouble? Would Fell’s plan cause more trouble? Did the professor even know how much this school was protecting that ass hole?

 

“Oh and don’t plan on going home, we’re heading out in a few hours.”

 

“W-hat?” Red blinked surprised.

 

“I’ve made reservations. We’re going to go out to eat. Then afterwards you will come home to my place.” Fell stated mater-of-factly, his chin resting on the back of his bony hand.

 

Red’s cheeks began to glow bright crimson. This all sounded a lot like a date.  “B-but I have to go back to the lab to work on m-my project. The others are w-waiting for me.” Speaking of, he should probably head over there now. He wondered how long he had slept, hopefully it wasn’t too late- Red froze as his eyes landed on the clock above Fell’s desk. It had been several hours past the end of class. His friends would surely have gone home by now. He ended up skipping out on them, again. Red sighed and dropped his head in defeat. “Nevermind… I overslept…”

 

Fell raised a brow bone at the new information regarding his pet. “You have work at a lab?”

 

Red’s head shot back up and his blush returned to his cheek bones. “Yeah, I’m a science major. Literature is my minor.”

 

“Those two subjects are quite different.” Fell noted as he watched Red’s reaction.

 

“Yeah well I just love them both.” The small skeleton rubbed the back of his skull nervously, his frame flinching as another jolt of pain ran up his spine from his pelvis. Standing was not helping the dull aches.

 

Fell noted the flinch immediately and moved his chair a little ways back from his desk. “Come here.” He demanded as he patted his lap.

 

Red’s cheeks began to glow brighter at the command, but he didn’t dare argue. He had learned his lesson. He wouldn’t be in pain right now if it wasn’t for his stubbornness. Quickly Red moved and sat on Fell’s lap. Seeing as they were both skeletons, the position wasn’t all that comfortable. Before he could comment and suggest that maybe he sit back at his desk, Fell’s free hand moved and pressed firmly against his lower half. Red’s voice caught in his throat at the sudden closeness.

 

Not long after, Red began to feel a warm soothing sensation radiate from his pelvic bone all the way up his spine that spread across his chest. He could feel tingles of the relaxing sensations caress his soul, making his whole body go limp. It felt incredible. All his aches and pains began to wash away, only leaving a pleasant warm hum that permeated across his bones. Red glanced down at Fell’s hand and saw that it was glowing with his magic. Red’s soul pulsed. Fell was healing him.

 

“So tell me, what kind of project are you working on?” Fell questioned as he continued to grade the papers in front of him and keeping his healing magic rolling over the smaller skeleton in his lap.

 

“Oh well we’re working on time travel. We have a theory that with enough determination we can recreate the human’s power on a larger scale.” Red couldn’t help but lean into Fell’s chest. While the healing magic calmed his aches, the heat radiating from Fell’s soul calmed his nerves. Red couldn’t help but feel safe and relaxed in Fell’s hold, his own soul warming in his chest.

 

“How would you test this theory?”

 

As Red began to explain the experiment to Fell, the taller skeleton couldn’t help as a small smile creep its way onto his face. He noticed Red wasn’t stuttering anymore. He wasn’t tense either. By all counts the smaller skeleton seemed to finally relax near him. Fell was pleased to see his pet open up. While talking with Red, he realized just how passionate the other skeleton was. He was incredibly smart, very articulate. Yet at the same time he could see Red was artistic and creative. Both sides showing through his love of science and literature. There was more to Red than Fell first perceived.

 

“So, why did you become a literature professor?” Red asked, feeling a little more confident in conversing with Fell.

 

Fell paused for a moment, almost as if debating whether to answer the question at all. After a few moments of silence, Fell finally spoke. “I became a literature professor because I enjoy reading books. Life wasn’t as appealing as it could be so I preferred the tales written by others. I then decided to pursue a career in the subject. Simple.”

 

Even though Fell was trying to play off the answer as if it was a simple obvious statement, Red could hear the hidden meaning behind it. Fell didn’t like normal life, so he sought out the adventures in books. There must be something in Fell’s life that was missing, so he turned to literature to fill the void.

 

Fell was just like him.

 

**The stories in literature was everything Fell wanted in life, but couldn’t have.**

Red felt his soul hum at the realization that he and Fell, weren’t all that different. They had more in common than he thought. “You’ll have to tell me about some of your favorite books when we’re out at dinner.” Red closed his eyes and relaxed further into Fell’s chest, waiting patiently for his professor to finish his grading so they could go out.

 

Fell’s pen paused, but only for a second. The tall skeleton’s smile widened as he considered Red’s words. His pet was really something else.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Has Blue ever been one to think things logically, especially when involving Rus? Nope. That's normally Fell's job to keep Blue's crazy in check.
> 
> Huge shout out and thanks to my friend Adi who volunteered to be the beta reader. With her help we can hopefully catch the majority of my shitty spelling and grammar errors. 
> 
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	10. The Shift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! If you haven't already you should check out the awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥
> 
> Stripeyskelesins - [ View Here ](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)
> 
> Eunoriablithe - [ View Here ](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)

 

Once again Red could feel the soft feathery touches of silk across his bare femurs as he stirred from his deep sleep. This time he instantly knew where he was without having to open his eyes. He was in Fell’s bed, yet again. With a quick check of his hand, he could feel he was in another oversized dress shirt with no pants. A soft sigh escaped his parted teeth as he slowly opened his sockets and was greeted by the familiar dark room. Red laid in the large, comfortable bed as he let his tired mind wake up with the rest of him. So he yet again bailed on his friends without telling them, and ended up sleeping over at Fell’s place. The small skeleton could feel a thin sheen of sweat from on his skull. His friends were going to kill him. Red shut his eyes as memories of last night flooded back.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Red sat comfortably in Fell’s arms as the professor poured over a stack of papers. Fell had stated that they had reservations at a restaurant and that they would leave as soon as he was done with work. Red was in no hurry though. Honestly he wouldn’t mind spending the evening like this. Fell’s magic was warm and comforting, the hum of his soul soothed Red’s in a way he never felt before. Red was used to being on his guard at all times.

 

When Red was younger, he never knew when his foster family would snap. The people that took care of him were government scammers; People who hid behind a clever mask to fool the social workers into thinking they were viable candidates to actually care for wards of the state. They volunteered for religious groups, made just enough money to meet the criteria, and had everyone in the neighborhood vouch for them, say they were wholesome, loving people. Reality was that all their money went to drugs and other addictive activities. They used the money the government would give them for each foster child to buy themselves nice things like clothes, jewelry, and new cars. None of the money ever went to buying food or clothes for the kids. Red would watch as the ‘foster father’ would drink himself into a haze then eye one of the younger children with lust. Even though Red was a 1 HP monster, he could never just sit back and watch as the ‘father’ would try to force themselves on the smaller children. Red would stand up and protect them, which was usually met with a hard beating. With the regular beatings Red grew stronger making his 1HP stretch a long way. But it wasn’t without a cost, Red developed depression and crippling anxiety.  The ailments made it near impossible for the smaller skeleton to ever fully let his guard down and relax, never knowing when the next beating would come. Sure some of them he could expect, such as talking back or preventing a rape, he could expect a beating after that. Some though were completely unprovoked. Preventative beatings meant to remind Red to keep his mouth shut to the social workers whenever they would do their rare checkups.

 

Red was so excited when he found out he got the scholarship to go to MSU. No more foster families, no more beatings; He would make something of himself! He would contribute to society and do something worthwhile. He was so excited. That is until he met his roommate, Doggo… It seemed like Doggo could sniff out his anxiety and preyed on it. He knew exactly how to push Red’s buttons to provoke a fight, and he knew he would always win. Doggo was the ultimate bully and knew the school would protect him, so thus he was untouchable. But Red, well Red had everything to lose if he ever got caught hurting the schools star quarterback. Red wasn’t weak, that wasn’t the case at all. Doggo could sense the immense amount of magic the small skeleton wielded. But he knew how to play his cards just right. He knew that to the school, Red was a nobody and that his scholarship was on the line. So once again, Red was forced to live in constant fear. Always looking over his shoulder, always stepping on egg shells, hoping that Doggo didn’t want to mess with him.

 

But sitting here in Fell’s arms, Red didn’t feel scared. For once Red felt safe, and happy. The small skeleton stayed quiet while Fell worked, his professor making great time with the paperwork. He saw the stack of papers shrinking and figured it wouldn’t be long till Fell would be done and they would be on their way. In the back of Red’s mind he hoped that they had time to stop off and change first. A little drop of nervous sweat dripped down his skull when he looked down at his lap and saw a very prominent stain thanks to the day long ‘punishment’. 

*BUZZ*

 

Both Red and Fell looked over at Fell’s phone on the desk as it vibrated with text after text. Whoever was sending them seemed like they urgently wanted to talk to Fell.

 

The taller skeleton sighed and picked up his phone. After a quick glance at the messages his face morphed into that of extreme annoyance.

 

Red didn’t dare look at the phone, even though he could easily read the messages in the position he was in. He knew it was an invasion of Fell’s privacy and he wanted to respect his professor’s space as much as possible. Seeing as he was already intruding on the skeleton’s personal space being in his lap and all.

 

Slowly Fell picked Red up as he moved from his seat. He set the small skeleton back down in his comfy leather chair as he stood straight, holding his cell phone in his hand. “I need to take care of this. Wait here.”

 

Red nodded as he watched Fell leave the classroom, holding his phone to his skull. Before the classroom door could close he could hear Fell yelling in the hallway.

 

“Blue what the fuck do you want!”

 

Blue? As in Professor Blue? Red wondered what the small skeleton professor would want. He figured Blue and Fell were close colleagues. Blue was the one to show him where Fell’s office was and the short correspondence he witnessed between the two suggested they were more than acquaintances. Red leaned back into the leather chair and pondered for a moment, how did Fell and Blue know each other? He figured psychology and literature weren’t too far off subject wise, right? Oh well. Maybe he could ask Fell over dinner. Just another topic to have on hand so things wouldn’t be quiet and awkward.

 

Red’s cheek bones dusted a soft pink as he thought about the dinner to be. It really did seem like a date. But was he and Fell dating? Is that what this was? Red’s hand unconsciously reached up and held onto the collar around his neck. He was under the impression that they had a strictly sexual relationship. Dinner sounded much more complicated than that.

 

Red sighed as he leaned back further into the chair, the soft leather sighing as he shifted. At least his lower half didn’t hurt anymore. Red tilted his head back and watched the clock above him tick away. How long had Fell been out taking his call? If it was taking this long it had to be important. Was Blue okay? Was Rus with him? He knew Rus would be upset if anything happened to Blue. It was obvious that he cared for the small energetic professor. Sans and Red could see it clear as day, it was written all over Rus’ face whenever the small blue skeleton was around.

 

Slowly Red’s sockets began to droop. He was sure hours had passed by this point. He was starting to worry that something was wrong. Maybe he should go look for Fell? But Fell told him to stay. Red grumbled to himself as he replayed Fell’s orders in his head. Finally he sighed in defeat. Fell told him to wait here and that’s what he was going to do. He’d wait here for Fell to come back. Fell would come back any minute now. In the meantime he’d let his eyes rest for a bit.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Red frowned as he realized he must have fallen asleep. He looked down at the sheets that now pooled around his legs as he sat up in bed. A little ping of disappointment pricked at his soul. He was actually looking forward to dinner with Fell. Did Fell even come back in time for their reservation? Why didn’t he wake him? A heavy sigh escaped the small skeleton as he fidgeted with his bony hands in his lap. Maybe it just wasn’t meant to be. Maybe Fell changed his mind about the dinner, maybe it was too much like a date and he didn’t want Red getting the wrong idea.

 

Red looked up from his lap when a delicious smell wafted through the open door to his nasal cavity. Fell must be cooking again. Slowly, Red got out of bed and stretched. He let his joints pop pleasantly as he looked around the room. Still no clothes. Red eyed The Closet of Pain in the corner and chose not to even bother looking around the room any further. He didn’t even dare look in the dressers, afraid he’d find a Drawer of Kink or something of the sort.

 

Red easily maneuvered his way down the hall and into the open living, dining, and kitchen area where he spotted Fell in the kitchen, working on something at the stove. Quietly he walked up to the taller skeleton, noticing Fell was already dressed for work, except today he was wearing a red turtleneck rather than a black one. Jeez this guy was OCD with his outfits. Then again, he had never seen his professor in anything other than his school cloths. Red couldn’t help but let his eyes wonder down Fell’s frame till it stopped at the black apron tied around him. While Fell reached for other ingredients on the countertop Red could see that the front of the apron had a flaming decal stitched into it, the middle of the flames were the words ‘COOL DUDE’. Red couldn’t stop a snort from escaping as he held back his laughter.

 

The sound caught Fell’s attention and the taller skeleton turned to see Red standing before him, still draped in nothing but one of his dress shirts.

 

Red watched Fell as the other skeleton’s gaze stayed focused on him. He was looking at him, but it almost feel like he was looking through him. A nervous sweat began to build on his skull. Was Fell mad at him for something? The small skeleton tried to read the other’s expression while going over his past actions in his head. Did he hear his laughing, was he offended? Come on! Fell had to know that apron looked hilarious on him knowing his cold, hard personality. Red watched as Fell’s gaze turned to a look of disgust as it landed on his spiked red collar, almost as if he was contemplating something. Red instinctively reached up and held the collar protectively. What was that look for? Red’s mind immediately went into overdrive. Why would Fell make that face at his collar? Was the look not intended for the collar, but rather the person the collar was on?

 

Wait… Did Fell regret giving this to him? Was he going to take it back?

 

As soon as Red latched onto his collar, Fell broke out of his trance, his expression returning to its normal annoyed-impassive look. “Did you sleep well?”

 

Red blinked confused at the strange looks Fell was giving earlier before forcing himself to focus. “Yeah I slept fine.”

 

“Good.” Was all Fell replied as he stirred something on a skillet.

 

Red shifted nervously in his spot. There was a strange tension between them all the sudden. It was almost palpable. The calm easy feeling from last night suddenly gone. Was Red being too much of a burden? Was he starting to annoy Fell? Did the other skeleton regret making him his pet? Red gripped the sleeves of the shirt nervously as he kept his gaze on the floor.

 

Fell wasn’t trying to touch him, or talk to him. Hell he wasn’t even looking at him. Almost like he was annoyed with Red’s presence.

 

There was a loud buzzer sound down the hall, indicating the dryer had stopped.

 

“That would be your clothes. I washed them for you. You should get ready, school starts soon.” Fell didn’t look at Red, only continued to stir his concoction on the skillet.

 

Red kept his eyes on Fell for a while longer, waiting to see if Fell had anything else to say to him. The taller skeletons demeanor towards him seemed unusually cold.

 

Just last night Fell seemed so kind and open to him. What went wrong? What changed?

 

“O-oh, um t-thank you…” Red stammered out as he clung to the sleeves of the shirt harder. He waited by Fell’s side just for a while longer before heading down the hall towards the washroom.

 

It didn’t take long for the smaller skeleton to return wearing his uniform dress shirt, cream colored sweater, and slacks. The top of his dress shirt was unbuttoned, his spiked red collar easily visible for anyone to see. Red stood nervously back at Fell’s side, waiting to see if the other wanted him to stay, or had anything to say.

 

**_‘Give me a sign, anything… Let me know that you still want me around…’_ **

****

Fell continued to focus on his cooking, almost as if he was actively ignoring the smaller skeleton.

 

“I p-put your shirt in the w-wash…” Red attempted to make conversation.

 

The taller skeleton simply hummed in confirmation, still not looking at him, still focusing on the meal in front of him. It was obvious he had no intention of acknowledging Red any further.

 

Red’s soul sank in his chest at the lack of response from the other. It was easy to see he was being ignored and that his presence was not wanted. Slowly the smaller skeleton lowered his head, unable to look at the other ignoring him. “I g-guess I’m off to school then… goodbye…” Red waited some more, just for a moment… to see if maybe Fell still wanted him around.

 

…

 

The silence was answer enough.

 

So, he was being a burden. Fell didn’t want him around.

 

Red bit his tongue and shut his sockets tight as his body began to shake. No, he wouldn’t do this here, not again. Not in front of Fell again. Red took in a shaky breath to try and calm his emotions that threatened to spill out. He focused on his magic the best he could.

 

There was a small *blip* sound beside Fell, and Red was gone.

 

Fell didn’t need to look over to know the other had teleported. He didn’t need to see the small skeleton to know that he had reverted back to being nervous around him. Red’s stuttered speech was back to how it was before.

 

The tall skeleton stood unmoving at the stove, his hand gripping the spatula so tight the utensil creaked in protest. Inside the pan his eggs lay burnt.

 

_______________________________________

 

Flashes of white fluttered across his sight. Soft white, pristine snow. The sensation of cold. The crunching of snow beneath his feet was heard as he walked towards a fog. There was a flash of red. Sharp red contrasted against the soft white snow. He was running, running towards the red. Before he could reach it, it disappeared. The world around him disappeared. Everything went black. And all he could see was dust.

 

Sans shot up in his bed, clutching his shirt at his chest while he heaved in deep breaths. His cyan eye was aflame and his bones shook, his magic buzzing at the ready. Tears were gathering at the corners of his sockets, but he didn’t understand why. That dream, it was so vague, he could hardly remember it. But it all fell so… real. His soul clenched painfully as flashes of the dream kept replaying in his head. Even though very little happened in the dream, Sans felt like it was the worst nightmare he ever had. Sans couldn’t seem to catch his breath. It felt like no matter how many deep breaths he took, his nonexistent lungs would not fill with air. He felt like he was suffocating, drowning in the flashes of the dream, and he started to panic.  

 

Papyrus yawned tiredly as he wondered back into Sans bedroom, a glass of water in his hand. He smoothed out his Sleepy Buns t-shirt and pajama bottoms before spotting Sans sitting up in bed. “SANS, WHEN DID YOU WAKE- SANS??” Upon seeing the other in such a distressed state, the taller skeleton quickly set his drink aside and went to Sans. “SANS, WHAT’S WRONG?” Papyrus scooped the smaller skeleton up into his arms and cradled him against his chest. His soul immediately began to glow and pulse warm comforting emotions to the other. 

Sans felt Papyrus’s arms wrap around him and he instinctively clung to the taller skeleton. His bones quivered as he willed himself to calm down. He focused on the feel of Papyrus’s arms around him, the steady yet slightly quickened movements of his chest rising and falling with his breaths. The repetitive motion grounded him to reality. Warm calming sensations from Papyrus washed over his bones as they sought out his soul. His own soul accepted the emotions gratefully and began to glow softly in response. Shortly after, Sans felt like he could breathe again and his body stopped shaking. Only a few trembles remained, the only evidence of his momentary panic.

 

Papyrus didn’t stop the flow of comforting emotions. He wanted to make sure Sans was truly okay. Not once had he ever seen the playful skeleton like this. It didn’t suit his normal laid back, comedic attitude. “Sans, is everything alright?” Papyrus kept his voice soft and subdued in order to keep from startling the other skeleton back into a state of panic.

 

Sans took a few shaky breaths before nodding his head against Papyrus’s chest. “Yeah I’m fine. Sorry about that.” Sans reluctantly pulled away from Papyrus’s hold, but continued to sit in his lap. His cyan eye simmered out and was hollow for a while till his eye lights returned, dimmer than usual.

 

“What happened?” Papyrus looked over the smaller skeleton to see if there were any other signs of distress.

 

“I just had a nightmare is all. No big deal.” Sans put his trademark grin back on his face as he forced a playful wink to Papyrus in hopes it would succeed in convincing the other skeleton he was alright.

 

“It didn’t seem like no big deal… Do you want to talk about it?” Papyrus frowned. He realized Sans was trying to downplay the whole ordeal. He was always so closed off about his feelings.

 

“There’s no need. I can hardly remember it now that I’m awake.” Sans rubbed the back of his skull as he attempted to piece together the vague flashes of dream, tying to see if they had any sort of meaning. 

“Alright then…” Papyrus watched as Sans stared off into space. It was obvious the nightmare troubled the smaller skeleton, but no matter how much he wished Sans would talk to him, he couldn’t force the other skeleton to open up if he wasn’t ready. Instead, Papyrus opted for another comforting method. Gently, he reached out and tilted Sans skull up as he leaned down and clanked his teeth against the others. He could feel Sans immediately melting into the chaste kiss. Papyrus continued the small skeleton kisses along Sans cheeks and sockets till he got to the smaller skeleton’s forehead. Papyrus then softly bonked his skull against Sans as he rested his forehead against the others.

 

Sans reached up and cupped Papyrus’s bony hands with his own as they cradled his skull. With slow movements, Sans ran this thumb across Papyrus’s smooth bones. He wasn’t sure what he did to deserve Papyrus, but he was happy that the other was here. “Thank you.” Sans voice was low and soft.

 

Papyrus could tell there was so much more to that thank you than a simple gratification for the events of this evening. The tall skeleton smiled brightly letting out a small nyeh of excitement. “YOU DO NOT NEED TO THANK ME SANS. I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO BE BY YOUR SIDE.”

 

Sans smiled. Papyrus always being by his side? He’s like that.

 

*Beep Beep Beep Beep*

 

The alarm on the side table began to sound, indicating it was time to get up for school. Papyrus pulled away from Sans jumped out of bed, the start of a new day filling him with refreshed vigor. Sans flopped back onto his pillow and calculated how much more sleep he could get if he could fall back asleep right this second.

 

“TIME TO START THE DAY! SANS, I’LL BE IN THE KITCHEN MAKING BREAKFAST. DON’T SLEEP IN TOO MUCH YOU LAZYBONES.”

 

The only response Papyrus received from Sans was a muffled groan against the pillow.

 

Papyrus shook his head, a smile still plastered across his face. Sans was never a morning person to begin with. And normally Papyrus would try to get Sans out of bed at a reasonable time, but seeing the night the smaller skeleton just had, Papyrus figured he’d let the other sleep in, just this once.

 

Papyrus left Sans room and ventured into the kitchen. He pulled out the ingredients and cooking utensils and quickly went to work on making a hearty breakfast for the other skeletons. Papyrus had been sleeping over quite a bit the past month and the three skeletons easily fell into a comfortable routine. Papyrus would normally wake up first and cook breakfast while Sans and Rus continued to pound away at the snooze buttons on their alarms. Then the three would eventually gather at the kitchen and enjoy the jock skeleton’s cooking. After breakfast there was just enough time for Sans to help Papyrus with his core class homework, all the while Rus would sit on the couch and watch something the TV while he smoked his morning cigarette.

 

Papyrus hummed a tune as he worked diligently on his culinary creation. He really enjoyed the way things were going. The tall skeleton suddenly found himself surrounded by friends. His school work was coming much easier. And he had a… he wasn’t sure what to call Sans, but he was incredibly happy to have him. Papyrus quickly noticed the smaller skeleton was fast to dodge any questions that might lead to asking about their relationship status. Were they casually dating, were they in an official relationship? He didn’t know. Papyrus could tell his small skeleton companion was not as comfortable with the idea of a committed relationship like he was. But that was okay. He knew Sans wasn’t seeing any other people, stars knew he didn’t have the time even if he wanted to. If Sans wasn’t in class, Papyrus was usually around either during lunch, after class, or sleeping over. The two were almost inseparable. Papyrus was just happy to be able to spend time with Sans. If Sans didn’t want to put a label on them just yet, then he was content with waiting.

 

Papyrus was almost finished with his eggs, sausage, and toast. He had all the plates ready and was serving up the portions when he felt arms wrap around his middle and a skull rest against his back. Papyrus froze and smiled softly. “SANS YOU SHOULD GET YOUR REST. YOU CAN EAT YOUR BREAKFAST LATER.”

 

“But I like eating breakfast with you.” Sans yawned and nuzzled his skull further into the back of Papyrus’s shirt.

 

Papyrus couldn’t help a soft orange glow from spreading across his cheek bones. He stood still for a while, not wanting to move from Sans hold, enjoying the closeness of the other skeleton.

 

Sans took in a deep breath of Papyrus’s sent. The other skeletons presence alone made him feel better, especially after the night he had. Reluctantly, he moved from the taller skeleton’s back and headed towards the hallway. “I’m going to wake Rus.”

 

“ALRIGHT! TELL HIM BREAKFAST IS SERVED!”

 

Sans made his way to Rus’ room and gently knocked on the door. After waiting a while with no response he let himself in, opening the door to reveal an even messier room than usual. “Hey Rus, breakfast is ready.”

 

“’kay…” Rus was in bed, facing away from the door, covers wrapped around him. His lethargic response and messy room were dead give always to his depressed emotional state.

 

Sans sighed and leaned against the doorframe. “You planning to go to your elective class today?”

 

“No.”

 

“You planning to tell us what happened between you and Blue?”

 

“No.”

 

“You planning to talk it over with Blue, whatever it is that’s bothering you two?”

 

“No.”

 

Sans frowned. Rus had been like this for weeks now. Granted this was much better than how the Skeleton was when he first came home a few weeks ago. The hoodie clad skeleton locked himself in his room for 3 days straight. Rus didn’t eat, didn’t speak to anyone, and didn’t go to school. It wasn’t until Papyrus broke the lock busting through the door worried the other was falling down that Rus finally started talking to them again. (Mostly because he no longer had a lock to keep the others out). It wasn’t hard to tell something happened between Rus and Blue. Blue suddenly stopped showing at lunch and whenever Sans or Red saw him around campus, it almost seemed like the small professor would actively avoid the others, going so far as turning his direction mid walk. And whenever asked about the sudden disappearance of the energetic professor, Rus would get incredibly irritable and quiet.

 

Sans wanted to help his friend, but he didn’t know how. It was obvious Rus cared for Blue, more than he led on. Sans could only imagine how hurt his friend was. He knew Rus didn’t open up easily. The taller skeleton was incredibly guarded with his emotions. The only people who ever got a glimpse of Rus’ true personality was Sans and Red. Papyrus was slowly making his way into Rus’ little closed off world. It would be difficult, but Sans knew that Papyrus wasn’t one to give up on someone just because they were difficult. He was confident Rus would eventually accept Papyrus as a part of their odd little family.

 

“Well, come on and get up. Papyrus got you your favorite honey, the one that comes in the cute bear bottle.” Sans let his grin widen just a bit. Papyrus was surprisingly incredibly perceptive when it came to people’s emotions. The tall jock skeleton quickly discovered Rus had three weaknesses: cigarettes, honey, and cute things. Papyrus wasn’t much for supporting Rus’ tobacco addiction, so he tried to let Rus indulge in his other vices by finding the perfect combination of cute and honey.

 

There was a small shift in the blankets before Rus finally threw the covers back and got out of bed. The tall skeleton rubbed the back of his skull, trying to avoid Sans’ smug look as he left his room and made his way to the kitchen. Damn his stupid friend and his stupid boyfriend for knowing his weaknesses.

 

Rus sighed as he focused on putting his mask back on. Outside of Sans, Red, and Papyrus, no one else knew there was anything wrong with him. And that was exactly how he wanted it.

 

Rus had a moment of weakness. He let Blue in, not even realizing how much the other hated being around him. Rus berated himself for not being able to read the signs. Now that he looked back on it, why would Blue have ever wanted to be friends with him in the first place? He was just a charity case to the small skeleton. From the very first day Blue had pitied the tall, lazy skeleton for his bleak outlook on life. Blue gave up so much of his time both in school and at home wasting it on Rus. All those ‘study sessions’, lunch breaks, movie nights at his house, all wasted time in Blue’s eyes.

 

No wonder his professor hated him.

 

He was stupid to ever think Blue might have cared for him. He was stupid to think his professor actually wanted to be a part of his life. He was stupid to think that maybe, just maybe they could have been more than friends.

 

He was stupid.

 

Rus had let his guard down, but he learned his lesson. He wouldn’t let anyone else in ever again. It was easier this way, less painful…

 

The meal went fairly smoothly. Rus was grateful that Sans and Papyrus didn’t try to force him to converse and socialize outside of just being at the table. Sans may be a jokester but he knew when people were emotionally exhausted and needed space. Sans wasn’t going to let him starve to death, but he also knew the small skeleton wasn’t going to force him into talking about his problems unless he was ready for it. Rus was grateful for his friends. They knew how to be there for him without pushing him to do things he wasn’t comfortable with. Rus quietly sucked on his honey bear bottle as he watched the other two talk about school, projects, and tv shows. 

“OH THAT REMINDS ME! WE HAVE AN IMPORTANT AT HOME GAME THIS EVENING! I WAS HOPING THAT MAYBE YOU GUYS WOULD COME?” Papyrus wrung his hands nervously as he asked. He knew Sans, Rus, and Red weren’t ones for sports, but the three had become his closest friends and this game would be the first time Papyrus would be able to show off his skills to the others. Sans, Rus, and Red were incredibly smart, always making impressive strides in science, Papyrus wanted to seem impressive too. Especially to Sans. He wanted to show the smaller skeleton just how great the Great Papyrus was. Sans opinion was important to him.

 

Sans shared a look with Rus before turning back to Papyrus with a smile. “Of course we’ll go to your game Paps. We wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Sans chuckled inside his head. Like he could ever say no to Papyrus. He was sure the others felt the same as well. He knew none of them enjoyed sports, but they would be there to support their friend any day.

 

“REALLY?! WOWWIE! I CANNOT WAIT FOR YOU ALL TO SEE MY ATHLETIC PROWESS! YOU WILL SURELY BE AMAZED!” Papyrus’ frame morphed from delighted shock to a heroic pose, excited to show off to his friends.

 

Sans pulled out his phone and text Red to let him know that they would be going to the football game. He chuckled, already imagining Red’s response. Out of all of them, Red hated sports the most, especially football. And for obvious reasons. But he knew Red had grown fond of Papyrus and the small nervous skeleton would go to the game, even if he didn’t want to.

 

9:30am  
Sans: Hey, we’re all going to go to the football game tonight to watch Paps play. Don’t make any other plans for the evening.

 

9:32am  
Red: This is gonna suck… but alright.   
Red: Wait, what plans would I even make?

 

9:33am  
Sans: I dunno. You’ve kind of vanished on us a couple times. ;) Tell whoever they are they can spare you for one night.

 

9:35am  
Red: That was weeks ago… I apologized for it…  
Red: And don’t worry, I don’t think I’ll be vanishing anymore…

 

Sans stared at the text for a while. There was definitely something there that he wasn’t seeing, but he had a pretty good feeling Red wouldn’t tell him what was wrong even if he asked. But, he’d still try.

 

9:37am  
Sans: Is something going on Red?

 

9:38am  
Red: It’s nothing. I’ll be there tonight at the stupid game.

 

Thought so. Sans sighed. He and Rus knew something was up. Almost around the same time Rus and Blue had their little falling out, Red started acting distant and upset. Sans and Rus suspected that maybe Red had a crush that turned him down. They didn’t know how to help their friend since he wasn’t willing to talk about it, so they decided to try and not bring attention to it, knowing it would only upset the nervous skeleton more.

 

“Red’s in.” Sans commented as he put his phone away.

 

Papyrus held his fists together excitedly and Rus gave a lazy thumbs up as he continued to down his honey.

 

After breakfast was finished, the three skeletons got ready for class and Sans teleported them all to the campus.

 

“I’m going ahead to class, see you there Sans.” Rus waved the other two off as he quickly made his way down the campus, choosing to give the two a little privacy. He loved his friends, but he just couldn’t watch Sans and Papyrus do the whole lovey dovey couple thing in front of him, not right now.

 

“Catch ya in a bit buddy.” Sans waved to his friend while watching him go before turning back to Papyrus.

 

“I WON’T BE IN CULINARY TODAY. WE HAVE TO PRACTICE BEFORE THE GAME.” Papyrus fixed his red scarf around his neck. He no longer wore it inside his jacket, worried that Sans might think it was weird for wearing it every day. He now wore the scarf proudly outside the rest of his clothing for all to see. He noticed Sans would brighten up whenever seeing him wear it.

 

“No worries. I’ll be sure to take notes for you. We’ll just go over the lesson together another day.” Sans grinned with a light blush, the memory of their last unsupervised cooking session playing in his head, along with the events of the evening that fallowed.

 

Papyrus’s cheeks dusted a soft orange at the memory. Their messy cooking session had led to some heated moments. Other than that one night, he and Sans had not done anything sexual of the sort. To say there was some sexual tension between the two was an understatement. But Papyrus knew Sans was taking things slow for him, and he was incredibly grateful for it.

 

“I GUESS I’LL SEE YOU LATER TONIGHT?” Papyrus looked down, his cheeks glowing brighter as his imagination took a turn, fueling his pent up desires.

 

Sans tip toed up and pulled Papyrus down by his scarf, pressing his teeth deeply against the others. Their magic sparked between them and Papyrus quickly wrapped his arms around the smaller skeleton, pulling him flush against his chest. Both their tongues formed as they eagerly danced and tangled with the other. Sans deepened the kiss, dominating Papyrus’s mouth as his tongue traced the top of the taller skeleton’s teeth. Papyrus let out a soft mewl into the kiss, his arms tightening around Sans.

 

Sans was the first to pull away as he pressed his forehead against Papyrus’s, both skeletons panting softly from the heated kiss. Sans reached up and gently stroked Papyrus’s cheek bone, his phalanges lightly tracing down to his jaw. “See you later tonight, Babe.” Sans winked suggestively, hinting that he wasn’t just talking about the football game.

 

Papyrus’s blush grew brighter at the pet name, the endearing gesture and double meaning behind those words leaving him speechless.

 

Sans slowly lowered back down as he turned on his heel and headed towards his class. He couldn’t help feeling a little smug at leaving the the Great Papyrus so flustered.

 

__________________________

 

Rus retrieved his pack of cigarettes from his hoodie pocket and pulled out a fresh stick. Before he could light it, he noticed Red walking ahead of him. The taller skeleton smiled and quickly caught up to the other with his long strides. “Hey there Red.”

 

The small skeleton jumped but quickly relaxed, seeing that it was only Rus. “Oh hey Rus. Where’s Sans?” He looked around and noticed his look alike was no where to be seen.

 

“He’s back at the center of campus saying goodbye to his boyfriend.” Rus stated with a chuckle as he pulled out his lighter.  

 

“You know, I don’t think Sans has ever said he and Papyrus are officially dating…” Red weakly attempted to correct Rus, but they both knew that wasn’t the case.

 

“Sans just has a hard time admitting that he’s finally in a real, healthy relationship. He’s not used to the whole caring boyfriend thing. He’s used to the whole fuck buddy thing.”

 

“That’s true…” Red held the strap to his book bag tighter as he thought about his own situation. Fell had been pretty much ignoring him ever since that morning he woke up in Fell’s place. His professor seemed to be going the extra mile to ensure Red couldn’t get a moment alone with him. He would come to class just in time for class to start and would immediately leave as soon as class was over. Red even went to Fell’s office a few times but found the room to be empty. Red unconsciously reached up and grabbed his collar around this neck, his phalanges gently rubbing the metal tag, tracing the engraved letter F.  

 

Rus looked down seeing the distant and upset look on Red’s face. His eyes trailed down to his neck, noticing the spiked red collar. There was something up with that collar. Rus guessed that it had something to do with Red’s sudden solemn behavior. He knew the small skeleton was gruff looking on the outside, but he never pegged Red to be a spiked collar wearing kind of guy. And was that a… tag? Okay, this collar was definitely something more than a mere punk rock accessory. “Um, Red?” Rus attempted lamely to open a conversation about the collar.

 

The small skeleton froze mid step, his attention focused ahead and not on Rus, indicating he never even heard the other skeleton speak his name. Rus saw as Red’s hand gripped the collar tighter, his phalanges beginning to shake. What had gotten into Red? Why was he so upset all the sudden? What was he looking-

 

Rus looked up in the direction Red was staring and saw Blue walking with another skeleton monster. Blue had a huge smile on his face, his eyes bright and happy. The small skeleton spoke animatedly while the other kept an impassive look on his face. Rus’ soul suddenly froze in his chest. Looking between the two, Rus could see Blue and the taller skeleton holding hands, their fingers entwined.

 

Rus watched as Blue and the other skeleton crossed across the campus and disappeared into a nearby building. His soul unmoving in his chest. No pulses, no humming, no glowing. He stayed frozen.

 

A tiny, almost unnoticeable gasp of breath caught the taller skeleton’s attention.

 

Slowly, Rus looked down at Red. His sockets widened as he saw Red still looking at the doors of the building where the other two had gone into, red tear streaks traveling down his face. His bony hand clenching the spiked collar so hard he could see marrow seeping down from where the spikes were puncturing his bones.

 

_Oh…_

The picture was suddenly very, _very_ clear.

 

Rus sighed as he dropped his forgotten cigarette to the ground. He reached over and gently grabbed Red’s other hand, causing the other skeleton to jump and snap out of his trance. Red looked up at Rus just in time to see the taller skeleton pull his hoodie up, hiding his face in the shadow of the hood. Red didn’t have to see Rus’ face to tell the other was struggling to hold back his own emotions. After all, Fell was with Blue, _his_ Blue. “Come on Red, let’s get to class…” The taller skeleton’s voice was shaky and much more raspy than normal.

 

Red could feel Rus’ hand shake slightly as he held onto Red’s. The smaller skeleton was still for a while before he hesitantly nodded his head to the other. Red felt Rus squeeze his hand reassuringly and he could feel all the pain between them. He could tell Rus needed him right now just as much as he needed Rus. The two then slowly made their way to class, their hands still gripping to each other tightly, neither one wanting to let go.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My heart broke for the skele's when I wrote this. (ఠ్ఠ ˓̭ ఠ్ఠ)
> 
> Once again huge shout out to Adi for beta reading the chapters. ヽﾐ ´∀｀ﾐノ  
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	11. Homecoming Game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)

 

Soft scribbles and typing filled the quiet air of Blue’s office. Nothing was said between the two skeletons inside as each one focused on their work. Fell sat on the couch, one leg crossed over the other as he balanced papers on his lap, his pen scribbling away as he graded reports. Blue sat at his desk, typing at his laptop replying to emails. The small skeleton paused his typing when he heard an exasperated sigh from the other skeleton. Blue looked up and watched Fell run his hand over his face, the sound of bone on bone could be easily heard in their silence. Blue frowned as he watched his colleague. He couldn’t tell if Fell was tired or stressed out. Probably both. He decided not to ask Fell what was wrong. Mostly because he didn’t need to, he already had a pretty good idea. The past few weeks had been unusually difficult for the both of them, and Blue couldn’t help feeling a little bit responsible. Fell sighed once again as he tossed his stack of papers to the table in front of him, too distracted to focus on grading. He lowered his head and pinched the bridge above his nose hole. A twinge of guilt pinged at Blue’s soul at seeing his friend so upset. He never figured Fell would be taking this so hard. He wished there was something he could do. Blue looked down, unable to watch the normally composed skeleton fall apart in front of him.

 

The guilt finally ebbed away at Blue enough to prompt him to speak. “Fell… I’m really sorry…”

 

“There’s no reason to apologize.” Fell responded without his normal harshness. Almost as if he didn’t have the energy to put force into his words. This only worried Blue further.

 

“But-“

 

“But nothing. There’s nothing to talk about.” Fell didn’t look at his friend and colleague as he spoke.

 

Blue flinched. Fell sounded… hurt. The small skeleton looked down at his laptop and sighed himself. If Blue hadn’t freaked out and had a break down those weeks ago, maybe he and Fell would be happy. Blissfully ignorant, but happy.

 

But no, that wasn’t the case. No matter how much they wish they could go back in time and change things, they couldn’t.

 

Fell tilted his head back as he stared up at the ceiling. Maybe everything was Blue’s fault. Maybe it wasn’t. Maybe everything was his own fault. Fell’s sockets slowly closed and the taller skeleton moved so that he was laying across the couch, his arms behind his head. There were so many unanswered questions floating around his head and Fell knew the logical thing to do was to confront the issue head on. He knew that was the simple and fast solution. But… He didn’t want to. Instead Fell was hiding out in Blue’s office. The tall skeleton growled softy at himself. This was all so stupid and pathetic. But… Blue was his friend. His only friend. And he protected what was his.

 

Fell closed his sockets, unable to keep his mind from repaying the events from a few weeks ago. He recalled the series of events, trying to decide if what he did was truly for the best.  

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Fell looked over his stack of papers with Red resting in his lap. He could feel his magic hitting a threshold indicating that he had fully healed the small skeleton to capacity. He simply continued exerting his magic, the glow no longer healing so much as simply comforting the other. It was a perfect excuse to keep his pet in his lap. Fell was making fast progress with the work in front of him; not because his students were doing better, no they were all still stupid in his eyes, but he wanted to get through with the work in time for their reservations. That meant a few students here and there got just a little bit better grades than they normally would. They would have Red to thank for that.

 

Fall was just about done with the stack of papers when his phone began to buzz uncontrollably. The taller skeleton glared at the device on his desk, contemplating if it was really worth it to look at the messages. A few more relentless buzzes indicated even more texts were pouring in and Fell finally relented. He sighed as he picked up his phone and looked through his texts.

 

6:45pm  
Blue: Fell… I think I did something really bad  
Blue: IDK why I did it  
Blue: He’s going to hate me now

 

6:46pm  
Blue: I was being so selfish, what’s wrong with me?  
Blue: What have I done?  
Blue: How do I repair this?

 

6:50pm  
Blue: Fell?  
Blue: Please answer

 

6:53pm  
Blue: Look I know you’re probably with Red… I get it he’s more important to you now…

 

6:54:  
Blue: But I really need you…  
Blue: Please…

 

Fell’s sockets narrowed as he read through the texts. What the hell was going on and what was he talking about? Whatever had happened had caused Blue to panic and freak out. He knew his friend and he knew the smaller skeleton wasn’t going to calm down unless he was there to help. Fell reluctantly picked Red up, moving him as he stood then placed the smaller skeleton back in his seat.  “I need to take care of this, wait here.”

 

Red nodded to him with a confused look, but didn’t ask questions. Fell was a little proud. His pet was slightly defiant before, but now after his special training Red was back to being obedient as ever. The taller skeleton turned and walked out of the room as he dialed Blue’s contact. His colleague immediately answered. Fell didn’t give Blue time to speak, whatever this was it better be important to be interrupting his dinner with Red. “Blue what the fuck do you want!”

 

“Fell I did something bad I did something horrible I said terrible things I was upset I yelled at him I hurt him stars what have I done he’s never going to trust me ever again he’s never going to want to see me again all that time spent together all those study session movie nights dinners were never going to have that ever again and it’s all my fault!”

 

Fell could hear Blue gasping for air after his long-winded speech as he tried to hold back his sobs. The taller skeleton grumbled with annoyance. This wasn’t something that could be fixed with a phone call. Blue was having a full blown break down and there was no way Fell could get through to the smaller skeleton like this. Fell looked back at the door to his classroom where Red was waiting for him. The taller skeleton growled in frustration. He would be quick. He could do this. He’d go talk to Blue, calm the little overreacting shit down, and then be back in time for his and Red’s dinner reservation. Simple.

 

“Where are you?” Fell asked as he already began heading out the literature building.

 

“In my office…” Blue was able to weakly answer through his crying.

 

“I’m on my way.” Fell didn’t give Blue time to respond as he ended the call and made quick work of heading towards Blue’s office, his hurried long strides carrying him across the campus.

 

The taller skeleton made it to the office in record time. He quickly flew open the door and spotted Blue on the ground in front of his couch, hugging his knees to his chest as he continued to sob.

 

Fell frowned seeing his friend completely broken down. This kind of behavior didn’t suit the little energetic blueberry. He was supposed to be bubbly and annoyingly happy. Not huddled into himself whimpering into his arms.  Fell moved across the office and sat down on the floor next to Blue, his back resting against the couch. “What happened?” Fell knew he had to start somewhere, best start from the beginning.

 

Blue wiped the tears that continued to drip down his sockets. He then took a shaky breath trying to calm his crying long enough to talk. The small skeleton recalled the events from earlier this evening. He explained everything to Fell, not holding anything back anymore. He recounted his shock of finding out Red was his pet, his worries that Fell was going to ignore Blue now that he had someone else in his life, and his jealousy for the other small skeleton. Needless to say this all caught Fell off guard. Blue was threatened by Red? That didn’t make sense. Both he and Blue had broken up a long time ago, the separation was mutual. Sure they would have casual sex from time to time, but did Blue intend for them to never have anyone else in their lives? He was sure the smaller skeleton would eventually find this true love he always spouting on about. And Fell had other sexual partners before. What made Red so different? Fell was confused, but he didn’t say anything. He knew Blue needed to get everything off his chest first before he could ask questions.

 

Blue continued to explain how his jealousy for Red was mostly fueled by his closeness with Rus. Fell’s socket twitched at that comment. This was news to him. He would store this information and confront Red about it later. Blue then went on and elaborated how his jealousy for Red helped him realize his true feelings for his student, and how those feelings scared him. Fell stayed quiet and nodded, letting Blue know he was following along. Fell wasn’t surprised at this information. He figured Blue had feelings for his student; his friend was like an open book, so easy to read. Hearing Blue become afraid of his feelings for Rus was no surprise either. Blue talked a lot about true love and romance, yet never got close enough to anyone to develop feelings for them. Fell recalled Blue had a tendency to call things off around the 2nd or 3rd date with people. Whenever asked why, Blue would make up one excuse after the other to try and convince Fell that the smaller skeleton just somehow knew they weren’t the ones. He would always say ‘his soul just told him so.’ Fell could already see that Blue was developing feelings for this lazy, pessimistic student of his. And now Blue was finally aware of these feelings. Blue was such an oblivious moron sometimes. Fell was mentally shaking his head at Blue in his mind. Rus had somehow managed to work his way inside Blue’s life, and without even knowing, Blue had developed feelings for the other skeleton. Blue didn’t have time to make up excuses, or walk away before anything could happen, it was too late. The connection was already there.

 

Blue finally finished by recalling the conversation he had with Rus after class. How he had yelled at the other skeleton, told him hurtful lies in his desperate attempt to try and run away from his own feelings. Fell sighed at this part. Fucking Blue and his inability to think things through before acting. He’s the psychology professor, he should be the reasonable one. Fell ran a bony hand across his face in frustration. He’s not around for a few hours and Blue somehow finds a way to royally screw everything up.

 

“Blue… it sounds to me as if you’ve already found the solution to your own problem. Just talk to the fucking student and-“

 

“I can’t!” Blue cut Fell off. “You don’t understand… Rus, he looked so hurt… He’ll never want to see me again…” Blue looked down at his hands in his lap. He felt so helpless. Rus had been abandoned, time and time again. He opened up to people, and they left and hurt him. So much that he gave up on people and adopted the philosophy that everyone is innately selfish. A theory that Blue was starting to see was true.

 

“You’ll never fucking know unless you try!” Fell was starting to lose his patience with his friend. This was all pathetically childish. Blue knew how to fix the situation, he was just too afraid to do anything. And now it was interfering with his time with Red. “You panicked at your own emotions and created these crazy ideas in your head in order to rationalize a reason to run away. Then you lash out at the one person you like to try and push them away. Now you regret what you’ve done and you’re too afraid to try and make things right. Am I close?” Fell glanced over at Blue.

 

Blue looked up at Fell with wide eye lights. He could see the annoyance in the taller skeleton’s features. He knew he was being ridiculous. He knew Fell was right, Fell was always right about these things. “I… yes, you’re right… I’m sorry…” Blue looked back down as shame started to wash over him. It was silly of him to overreact. Fell wasn’t replacing him, his friend was still right here by his side. And for all he knew, Red and Rus were probably just really good friends. The small skeleton sighed at himself. He didn’t process his emotions and he ended up hurting Rus. The right thing to do was to apologize. Rus deserved that much. “I need to apologize to Rus…”

 

“You can do that later. For now you should go home and rest.” Fell glared down at Blue emphasizing that this was not a friendly request, but more of an order.

 

The small skeleton sniffed one last time and nodded, a little smile plastered on his face. “Thank you Fell.”

 

Fell stood and helped his colleague up. He simply smiled smugly at the smaller skeleton. They had been friends long enough that it was no longer needed for him to gloat. Blue knew Fell was always right.

 

The two made their way out of Blue’s office, the smaller skeleton locking up as he tried to brighten the mood with better conversation.

 

“H-hello p-professor Blue.”

 

Both skeletons turned to see a small yellow lizard monster standing near their door. She had a stack of papers in one arm, a key in the other. It looked as though she was just leaving for the night as well.

 

“Oh! Hello Dr. Alphys!” Blue tried to brighten up further now that he was back in public. Fell opted to stay quiet, simply watching the two. Since psychology was considered a science, Blue’s office was placed near all the other science professors’ offices. Even though his class was not in the science building, he was familiar with most of the staff in the science department. Dr. Alphys was a good professor. The small lizard monster was actually quite nice once you got to know her and got past her social anxiety. She enjoyed anime much like Blue did, and was kind enough to give the small skeleton some posters that now hung up in his office.

 

“A-are you doing b-better? A c-couple of professors and s-students saw you upset earlier…” Dr. Alphys shifted her stack of papers in her arms nervously. She looked around the hallway to make sure no other teachers were around. They shouldn’t be at this late hour, but one could never be too careful.

 

Blue’s smile wavered and he fought to keep his normal cheery disposition up. “Oh that? It was nothing.” Blue laughed a little too loud to try and cover for the nervousness in his voice. Fell huffed in amusement and rolled his eyes.

 

The small lizard monster seemed to look even more nervous as she shifted from one foot to the next, almost contemplating if she should continue speaking. “Blue… It’s j-just uh… Rumors spread f-fast and well… Some students saw you a-arguing with a student-“

 

“That? That was just a little argument about grades is all.” Blue found himself blurting out the lie before he could even realize he was doing it. The small skeleton’s cheeks began to glow a soft blue. Darn it! Why was he so bad at hiding his emotions? He looked for Fell for help, but the taller skeleton simply looked back with a cocky smile. This was too amusing to interfere with.

 

“Blue,” Dr. Alphys cut in but then quickly backed down, her nerves taking over once more. She could easily see Blue was lying, and she needed to get this out. She had to help out a fellow colleague. “W-word travels f-fast in the science department… And I just w-wanted to warn you to not get i-involved with Rus.”

 

Both Fell and Blue flinched at the comment. What did she just say? And what did she mean by that?

 

“W-wha- I don’t… I don’t understand…” Blue was stumbling over his words. His plastered on fake smile long gone as concern etched his face. Forget the fact that Alphys just saw through his cruddy lie, she was _warning_ him about Rus. Why would he need a warning?

 

Dr. Alphys took in a deep breath. She needed to be calm and she needed to be clear, or else Blue might get hurt. There was no room for misunderstandings. “Rus is widely known in the science program for… well… getting around. Mostly with the two other skeleton monsters he’s with.” Alphys recalled all the lunches with other science professors as everyone gossiped about the skeleton monsters.

 

Blue could feel his soul clenching painfully in his rib cage at this new information. So Rus was sleeping around? With both Red and Sans? That couldn’t be. Sans was with Papyrus and from what Blue saw during their time together, they looked like a happy couple. And they all just seemed like friends. He was sure he was just overreacting before when he thought Rus and Red were…

 

“How do you know this?” Fell spat harshly at Alphys. This was no longer amusing. This professor was insinuating that Rus was fucking Red. This couldn’t be true, he’d feel someone else’s magic on Red if that were the case. These accusations were probably the worst thing for Blue right now, and Fell couldn’t risk some unconfirmed gossip ruining all the progress he just made with the smaller skeleton.

 

The small lizard monster jumped at the harshness in Fell’s tone. The tall, edgy skeleton had a reputation for being scary and now she was finding out why first hand. Alphys took a few moments to compose herself before resuming with her explanation. “Last year several staff members in the science department caught Rus and one of the smaller skeletons having sex... Multiple times… They would always do it in a spare lab or classroom when they thought no one was around…” The lizard monster’s face was flushed bright red at this point. This was all common knowledge among the science department. No one ever had the confidence to confront the skeletons during the act, but several professors would catch glimpses and hear moans of passion late at night in the lab rooms.  

 

Blue’s eyes were now on the floor. His throat and chest felt tight. So everything he worried about was true? His phalanges began to shake as he tried desperately to hold everything together in front of his colleague. Blue could feel his soul pulsing painfully as he absorbed this information. Memories of waking up in Rus’ warm arms finding him asleep on his couch were now replaced with images of Rus taking Red inside the lab room. Blue’s frame trembled as he tried to ignore the images, but they were relentless, taking over every fond memory he had of the lazy student. In the midst of his panic and from the corner of his eye, Blue could see Fell’s hands clench into fists.

 

Alphys took another deep breath as she forced herself to continue. “There was also the incident a couple days ago… Rus and Red in the storage closet…”

 

Fell stepped forward towards the scientist, his magic pulsing a dangerous aura. “How do you know that for sure?” The taller skeleton practically growled.

 

Alphys flinched and stepped back, worried that Fell would attack at any moment. “I saw them!” She blurted out. “I looked through the window of the door that connects all the storage closets to the back supply room! Red’s cloths were almost off and he was making weird noises and I saw Rus had his hands all over him and so I left!” Alphys covered her ever burning face with her claws. She didn’t want to seem like a pervert so she looked away and left quickly, but she knew what she saw.

 

Fell went silent as his jaw clenched shut. The taller skeleton contemplated all the information he was given. Red said his friend had healed him. He admitted that he got his injuries from his roommate. Everything Red said added up.

 

But…

 

Red was missing all week before hand, and the smaller skeleton was adamant on making sure Fell didn’t do anything about his roommate. Could it be that it was because everything was a lie? Was Red trying to keep Fell from going to the higher ups in the school because his roommate didn’t cause those injuries? Was Rus simply trying to heal harsh sex wounds?

 

No, this was crazy. His pet wouldn’t lie to him. His pet was loyal and obedient. He should talk to Red, clear this all up right now.

 

The taller skeleton felt a hand grab his. He looked down to see Blue staring at the floor, his hand gripping Fell’s for dear life. He frowned watching his friend try to hold everything together in front of their colleague.

 

“Thank you for the warning…” Blue was surprisingly able to say with a steady voice.

 

Blue’s acknowledgement of the warning seemed to please Alphys enough for her to nod and take her leave. She could see both skeleton monsters looked rather distressed and they probably needed time alone. She had done her job, she had warned her fellow professors. She didn’t care if teachers had illicit relationships with students. MSU was under constant watch from the media for being one of the most prestigious monster schools around, and that media attention put a heavy burden on the professors. The staff at MSU had a secret code to look out for one another. No monster was perfect. Just because eyes were constantly on the school and there was always pressure for the school to excel didn’t mean they were going to turn one another like some Salem witch hunt. Humans were always looking for excuses to discredit monsters and their accomplishments. It was up to the monsters to look out for one another.  

 

After a few minutes passed, Fell pulled his hand away from Blue. He looked down at his friend, struggling to keep his look impassive. “We’ll talk about this later. This doesn’t change anything. Just talk to your student, and I’ll do the same for Red.”

 

Blue nodded slowly. Today had been a long, exhausting roller-coaster of emotions. Just when he thought he had figured everything out, something new popped up and threw him back into the void of worry and anxiety. It wasn’t like Blue could just send Rus a text and ask him if he was sleeping with Red. This was something that needed to be handled more delicately. Heck Blue still needed to go apologize to the other skeleton and see if Rus even wanted him around.

 

Both skeletons shared a look before going their separate ways.

 

Fell made it back to his classroom to find Red asleep on his desk. The taller skeleton looked up at the clock above the desk and a wave of guilt washed over him. It was past midnight. They had long missed their dinner reservation. The edgy professor sighed as he leaned against the wall to the classroom watching Red sleep. His pet waited for him for so long he fell asleep. Could it be possible he was fucking others? After Fell made a point to tell the smaller skeleton he was claimed, he was _his_. Fell growled under his breath as he walked up to the sleeping skeleton and picked him up in his arms. Red was still his pet, and he took care of what was his.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Fell recalled the morning after he took Red home for the second time. He knew it was the perfect time to talk to the smaller skeleton, ask all the questions that needed to be asked. He could do it right then and there, get all the misunderstandings out in the open and clear everything up.

 

But he couldn’t do it.

 

He just couldn’t. He couldn’t look at Red and the collar he gave him thinking that maybe, just maybe his pet had been lying to him and had been sleeping around. So much the entire science department knew about him. Fell couldn’t even look at his pet none the less ask if he was screwing Rus. He knew he was being cold to Red, he knew he was pushing the smaller skeleton away. He wanted Blue to ask Rus first, that way he wouldn’t even have to have the conversation with Red.

 

Although it was clear now that Blue didn’t have the nerves to ask Rus either.

 

Blue had caught sight of Rus and Red earlier this morning. The smaller skeleton didn’t want Rus to see how upset he’d been all these weeks so he grabbed Fell’s hand for support and started fake laughing and talking. Normally Fell would have pulled his hand away and smacked Blue across the skull for such disgusting public displays of affection, but… he knew his friend needed him. Now more than ever. So he held Blue’s hand back.

 

Fell chastised himself for his behavior. He knew he should grow a spine and just fucking talk to Red, but he couldn’t. Fell didn’t understand. If this was any other sex pet he would have beat them six ways to Sunday and pried out the answers he was looking for. Why was this situation different? Why couldn’t he think logically when dealing with Red? Why did it upset him so much to think that Red may be lying, that he may be sleeping with Rus? Why did it infuriate him to think that someone else may have had their hands on Red, making him writhe, making him moan, making him cum screaming some other monsters name? Fell let out a small growl. If the person in question was anyone else, Fell would have dusted them for touching Red. But unfortunately, this situation was a little more complicated. The person in question was Rus, someone Blue cared for very much. His friend better be damn thankful. It was only for Blue’s sake he was holding back.

 

“Should I make tacos?” Blue offered lamely to try and lighten the mood. The tension in the air becoming too much to handle.

 

Fell glanced over at Blue with an annoyed look.

 

“…Yes.”

 

______________________

 

“This is so fucking stupid…” Red grumbled as he crossed his arms over his chest, his glare piercing the football field with unmatchable disgust.

 

“Hey, we’re only here for Papyrus. It’s not like we’re suddenly fans of our school’s football team. You can try to relax and make the best of it.” Sans offered as he leaned across Rus on the bleachers and nudged his look-alike.

 

Rus sat between the two smaller skeletons, his arms draped lazily around each of them, a lit cigarette hanging loosely between his teeth. He understood the importance of supporting Papyrus, he was practically one of them now. But he also understood Red’s extreme discomfort with being at the football game.  Hell he was literally only a few yards away from his shit roommate, Doggo. That would be enough to make anyone uncomfortable.

 

“I got an idea to make this all a little better.” Rus declared as he moved his arms from his friends and lifted up his hoodie. Stashed away inside was a bottle of ketchup, mustard, and honey. Rus distributed the condiments and held his cigarette in one hand as he eagerly started to down his honey.

 

Red stared at the mustard bottle curiously. Sure he loved mustard, but he didn’t think this was going to be enough to make up for the uncontrollable amounts of anxiety he was currently having by being so close to his abuser. Although it was a thoughtful gesture. What the hell. Red popped the top off the squirt bottle and began to suck on the spicy tangy liquid. As soon as his first gulp went down, Red noticed the familiar burn of alcohol warming his bones. Unprepared for the strong liquor, Red began to cough; he could feel Rus patting his back to help the drink go down easier.

 

“Stars Rus you spiked the condiments?” Red was able to weakly force out in between coughs.  

 

Red looked up in time to see Sans to take a deep breath from his burning drink. “Shit Rus, you think of everything.” Sans pounded on his sternum, not expecting the after burn.  

 

The taller skeleton chuckled at the two as he continued to suck away at his own honey bottle. “Now doesn’t this make things better?”

 

Both smaller skeletons hummed in agreement as they continued to take smaller sips of their drinks.

 

Sans Rus and Red weren’t all too interested in the game. Sports were never their thing. So, the three of them made up a drinking game to help pass the time. The game was simple: every time a player smacked another player on the ass, they would take a sip. Turns out there was a lot more butt smacking in football than they originally anticipated. All three skeletons finished their drinks before the game could get to the 4th quarter. With heavy liquor mixed in with their magic, the three skeletons found themselves actually having fun. Once inebriated they found themselves cheering and shouting with the rest of the audience. Even though they weren’t completely sure what was going on. They still didn’t fully understand the sport, but it was fun to yell.

 

The game was close to the finish and the score was tied. The coaches were on the sides and seemed to be having a heated argument, mostly involving their “star” quarterback. Doggo had made some impressive fumbles throughout the game, causing the team their comfortable lead. The coaches knew this play could make or break the game, and the pressure was on. It was the homecoming game and losing to the enemy team on home turf was not an option.

 

After some heated arguments between the coaches a choice was made, and there was a change in the lineup. Doggo was stopped before he could get on the field, one of the coaches had his hand on the players shoulder and looked to be talking the dog monster down. Whatever the coach was saying didn’t seem to help. Doggo became irate and began yelling in the coach’s face. Meanwhile another player made their way out on the field, taking Doggo’s place.

 

Sans dropped his empty ketchup bottle and pointed to the field. “Guys look! It’s Papyrus!”

 

Rus and Red stopped their buzzed laughter to look out on the field. There stood Papyrus in the huddle talking with the other teammates. They all nodded and broke for position.

 

Papyrus took his place and waited for the others to get ready as well. He looked up at the bleachers and quickly spotted Sans, Rus, and Red towards the front. The tall skeleton smiled when he spotted Sans. The small skeleton caught Papyrus looking at him and did a quick wave. Okay, this was it. This was his chance to show Sans his athletic prowess and make the smaller skeleton proud of him.

 

Once the play was called everything went into double time. Papyrus quickly saw the running back was covered, there was no way he could hand off the ball. No passes could be made. The other team lunged forward with relentless power and speed. They wanted this game and they wanted it bad. Papyrus saw no other option. He honed in on his skills and watched as a lineman came charging for him. The tall skeleton calculated everything to the T as he skillfully side stepped the enemy player and dashed forward. Holding the ball firmly Papyrus ran. The crowed began to roar and cheer as Papyrus make it to the 30 yard mark, weaving in and out of dives and tackles from the enemy team. The skeleton’s long legs and swift speed carried him further down the field. The enemy team was chasing after him, monsters lunging at his back. Papyrus listened carefully for the other players and moved out of the way as they dove for his feet. At 10 yards the skeleton noticed an enemy layer quickly gaining on him from his right. He glanced over just in time to see the monster dive right in front of him. Papyrus exerted all the energy he could and jumped over the monster, landing safely on his feet, and then sprinted towards the end zone.

 

“He’s going to make it!” Sans yelled excitedly as Rus and Red leaned forward, the whole crowd on the edge of their seats.

 

As soon as Papyrus crossed the line the crowd erupted into screams and cheers. The skeleton didn’t have time to look around as he was tackled by his teammates, all patting him on his helmet and congratulating him on making the winning touchdown.

 

Everyone in the stands stood to their feet and cheered, including the three skeletons. Sans and Red hugged onto Rus as the teller skeleton raised his fists in victory, all three of them yelling cheerfully with the adrenaline of the game mixed with the buzz from the alcohol.  

 

Time was out and the game was won. The enemy team dragged their feet to their side of the field as the MSU football team jumped for joy. Papyrus squeezed himself out of the boisterous huddle as he made his way to the side of the stands. He looked around eagerly, still out of breath from his sprint across the field. With the excitement of the game still buzzing through his bones the tall skeleton moved from foot to foot and he looked around the moving crowd to find Sans.

 

“Papyrus!”

 

The jock skeleton looked to the side and saw Sans leaning over the railing of the stands, Rus and Red at his side. Papyrus beamed as he rushed towards the stands where Sans was.

 

“You were incredible Paps! Great job-Mmph!”

 

Papyrus leaned up and grabbed Sans skull, crushing their teeth together in a deep, passionate kiss. Sans could feel Papyrus’s conjured tongue pressing at his teeth. The smaller skeleton wasted no time in conjuring his own blue appendage as he let Papyrus dominate his mouth with a needy kiss. Both skeletons lost themselves in the moment as Papyrus’s orange tongue dances with Sans blue one. The kiss gradually turned gentle as the two give each other smaller, softer kisses after the heat of the moment faded. Papyrus was the first to pull away, still out of breath, but this time for other reasons. He looked up at Sans half lidded gaze, little strings of orange saliva dripping from his glowing blue tongue as it stayed lulled outside his skull while he panted softly. Stars he wanted to ravish Sans right here and now. He felt so alive!

 

Sans took a while to compose himself, giving Papyrus a shy smile. The taller skeleton light up at the sight. Sans was so cute sometime.

      

An awkward cough broke the two from their spell and Papyrus turned to see some of his teammates standing off to the side, each of them shuffling uncomfortably. “Yo, uh, the team is going to go out and celebrate tonight’s win. And well we can’t celebrate without the guy who make the winning touchdown. You down to party?”

 

“OH! WELL OF COURSE!” Papyrus turned to look at Sans, Rus, and Red. “ARE YOU GUYS UP TO CELEBRATING TONI-“

 

“Uh Papyrus…” One of the teammates cut the jock skeleton off. “You see the party is only for football players. Sooo…” The teammate trailed off, not knowing if there was a better way to put this. The reality was this wasn’t a football players only party, they just didn’t want the science nerds to be there.

 

“OH… WELL IN THAT CASE I’M SORRY, BUT I MUST DE-“

 

“No, no. Paps, you should go.” Sans stopped Papyrus before he could continue. Sans wasn’t stupid, he knew the jocks simply didn’t want any nerds to be at the party. But that didn’t mean Papyrus shouldn’t go out and enjoy his victory. He earned it. They wouldn’t have won if it wasn’t for Papyrus.

  

Papyrus turned and looked up at Sans with both a curious and worried expression. “Sans, are you sure?” The jock skeleton used his subdued voice so that the other teammates couldn’t hear.

 

“Yeah. No worries Paps.” The small skeleton placed a bony hand on Papyrus’s cheek bone as he gave the taller skeleton the most convincing smile he could muster. “Look, you said the first day we met that you wanted to make lots of friends. Well, you can’t make new friends unless you hang out with new people. Go, go have fun and celebrate your win.”

  

Papyrus frowned as he searched Sans face for any indication that his choosing to go to the party would hurt the other’s feelings.

 

Sans chuckled, almost as if reading Papyrus’s thoughts. The taller skeleton was always so sweet and considerate. He knew Papyrus would worry about them. He wouldn’t be Papyrus if he didn’t care so much. “Go. We’ll be okay. Red, Rus, and I will have our own celebration. Don’t worry.”

 

This seemed to put the jock skeleton at ease. Papyrus then leaned up and bonked his forehead affectionately with Sans before moving to join his teammates.

 

“Let’s head home. I feel like tonight is a pizza and video games night.” Rus announced and watched the smaller skeletons to see what they thought.

 

“Sounds great!” Red agreed enthusiastically and grabbed onto Rus’ sweater, ready for them to teleport to their place.

 

Sans watched Papyrus leave quietly. The small skeleton didn’t turn or answer the others as he kept his gaze towards to hall the football team vanished in.

 

“Sans?” Red asked as he gently tapped his look-alike’s shoulder.

 

“Hm, what? Oh yeah, sounds great.” Sans moved to Rus’ other side and grabbed onto the other sleeve of the skeleton’s hoodie. Sans kept his vacant stare as he still focused on the now empty hall.

 

Rus and Red shared a worried look before Rus teleported them to their apartment with a small *blip*.

 

________________________

 

 

Music basted from the speakers inside Grilbz, flooding the room with upbeat dance music as the football team invaded the club. Drinks were immediately ordered and distributed as some football players chose to go to the dance floor while others joined any unaccompanied women at the booths. Papyrus frowned as he looked around the familiar club. There were students of all kinds at the club this evening. Everyone was out celebrating the homecoming game victory. It wasn’t just football players. The tall skeleton’s sockets narrowed as he realized his teammates had lied to him.

 

“Hey! If it isn’t the man of the hour himself! Here you go!” A loud, overly chummy monster in a letterman jacket shoved a drink into Papyrus’s bony hands as he wrapped one arm around the skeleton’s shoulder.

 

Papyrus eyed the drink that was handed to him suspiciously. He hesitantly lifted the cup up and took an experimental sip only to gag at the taste. It was straight liquor. Papyrus sighed. He wished Sans and the others were here. Sans knew that Papyrus didn’t care for alcohol, and if he was going to drink the smaller skeleton always knew what to order for him. Sans knew him, he knew his tastes.

 

The monster that had his arm around Papyrus led the skeleton to the back of the club where other football players gathered. Papyrus gasped as he realized who the people were. These were the senior players, the main line up. Most of the seniors ignored and looked down on the freshmen players, yet here Papyrus was being greeted loudly by all the seasoned athletes.

 

“There’s our man!”

 

Papyrus’s eyes landed on the monster in the middle who was holding up his drink, the rest of the teammates fallowing suit. Papyrus flinched realizing who spoke. It was Doggo.

 

Everyone shouted their cheers as they all took a drink. Papyrus watched them, becoming increasingly nervous at all the attention. He figured Doggo would be mad at him for taking his spot, not toasting him. The dog monster raised an eyebrow at Papyrus as he looked down at the forgotten drink in the skeletons hands, his expression expectant.

 

The tall skeleton fallowed the others gaze and he quickly caught on to what Doggo wanted. Papyrus lifted the drink and begrudgingly took another sip.  

 

“There we go!” Doggo praised the skeleton once he took the sip. “Come sit, join us!”

 

Papyrus wanted to wring his hands together but couldn’t with the drink he was holding. After a moment of contemplation and an impatient cough from Doggo, the skeleton moved to sit next to the dog monster in the booth. Papyrus didn’t know what to do. He had heard stories about Doggo from Sans and none of them were nice. The dog monster had every reason to be upset with Papyrus, so why was he being so nice and social with him?

 

“So, you’re the new guy everyone’s saying is going to be the next star of MSU.” Doggo leaned on Papyrus’s shoulder as he spoke. The dog monster would occasionally tap Papyrus’s hand, indicating the skeleton to take another drink. Papyrus reluctantly complied and took another sip of the burning liquid. Stars it did not taste good. The tall skeleton monster couldn’t find anything to say at the others remark, so he simply forced a smile onto his face.

 

The night continued with the same uncomfortable and awkward atmosphere. Papyrus felt as though these people weren’t the right kind of people to be friends with. He noticed Doggo would make a crude comment or joke and everyone around would laugh, almost forcefully. It seemed as if everyone was giving it their all to seem “cool”. And while Papyrus was always interested on the workings of being a cool dude, he realized this was not the proper way to go about it. People were careful of what they said or how they acted. As soon as Doggo pointed out a monster in the club that he deemed pathetic, Papyrus saw as the rest of the team would make it their goal to make that monsters life miserable for the rest of the evening. They would trip the monster, spill drinks on them, and laugh at them till they eventually left the club. Papyrus frowned as he tried to intervene, but his mind was too hazy. Throughout the night Doggo had made it his personal mission to get Papyrus drunk. And boy did he achieve it. Papyrus was a lightweight and could have easily gotten drunk off of weaker drinks, but Doggo wasn’t taking any chances. By the end of the evening Papyrus had downed 2 glasses of hard liquor and 1 glass of half vodka and half soda. The taller skeleton tried to focus as the room became fuzzy and started to sway.

 

Doggo smirked at seeing the younger jock completely inebriated. “You know,” the dog monster began, catching Papyrus’s drunk attention. “If you plan on being the next star quarterback, you got to learn to act the part.”

 

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN?” Papyrus worked hard to keep his words from slurring too much.

 

Doggo grabbed Papyrus’s shoulder and pulled the skeleton towards him as he leaned in himself. “You got to ditch the nerds.” Doggo spoke low as for no one to hear, as if this information was top secret.

 

“BUT SANS AND THE OTHERS ARE MY FRIENDS!”

 

“Shhh! Don’t want anyone hearing you.”

 

Papyrus hiccuped and put a bony hand to his mouth, his hazed mind unable to fully comprehend the situation.

 

Doggo leaned in closer as he continued. “Look, if you want real friends, you got to ditch the nerds. They’re only holding you down. I mean look at you! You should be out there right now pounding every broad in sight, not worrying about the dorks!”

 

Papyrus’s cheeks flushed at the remark. “STARS NO! I WOULD NEVER CHEAT ON SANS!”

 

Doggo’s mouth slowly spread into a wide smirk at the leaked information. Ideas quickly coming to his head. “So, you and the little nerd are a thing?”

 

The tall skeleton’s cheek bones began to glow brighter at the question. Were they a thing? He and sans never got around to talking about it. They sure acted like a couple. Papyrus wanted nothing more than to be closer to the smaller skeleton. “Well I’m not sure...” Papyrus voice lowered as he thought about his and Sans relationship.

 

“Interesting…” Doggo leaned back in the booth as he took a sip of his drink, eyeing the tall skeleton monster. Now this was going to be fun.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rus reputation come to bite him in the bony butt.  
> And you thought everything was going to get better *evil laugh*
> 
> Shout out to screamingbasement for beta reading o(^▽^)o  
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	12. Determination Pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)

 

The door to the apartment slowly eased open as Papyrus carefully stepped inside. With all the care and concentration he could muster, the tall skeleton gently shut the door, making sure the nob didn’t even click as it closed behind him. It was late, incredibly late, and he knew the others would already be asleep. The skeleton monster removed his shoes at the door and tip toed past the kitchen and across the living room. A shuffle on the couch froze the jock in his place as he looked over and spotted Red curled up under a blanket. A quick glance around the room Papyrus could see pizza boxes and empty soda cans strewn about. He glowered at the mess. He would clean it up… in the morning. Right now, he had to focus on keeping his balance long enough to make it to Sans room.

 

Papyrus turned down the hall towards Sans room, holding onto the walls as the feeling of vertigo washed over him. He paused as he waited for his bearings to return. How did he get to Sans and Rus’ apartment? He didn’t remember. In fact he didn’t remember much of the night. As soon as the skeleton reached the door, all his questions washed away. None of that mattered right now. He was finally going to be able to lay down and sleep next to the small skeleton that plagued his thoughts all night. With his cute and small stature, and his ridiculously cute face. You know what would make that face even cuter? Spaghetti sauce. Papyrus tried to make a mental note to cook spaghetti with Sans tomorrow, but the note would be forever lost to the drunk haze.

 

Slowly, Papyrus eased open Sans door with as much care he did with the front door. With a soft click, the door was closed behind him. After a few moments Papyrus could still hear Sans deep rhythmic breathing, indicating he succeeded in being quiet. The tall skeleton smiled to himself as he stood victoriously in the room. There, hard part over. With a little difficulty, Papyrus began to undress while at the same time looking for his stash of clothes he left at Sans place. He stumbled over to the dresser in the corner and opened his drawer, a whole drawer dedicated to him. The thought make the tall skeleton blush happily. Doggo didn’t know what he was talking about. He didn’t need to ditch Sans, the small skeleton made him incredibly happy. He was happy and that’s all that mattered. It took a while of drunk blank staring for Papyrus to notice his drawer was empty. Crud. It was laundry night. Thanks to the game he was left without any clean night cloths.

 

Papyrus frowned. He couldn’t sleep in his jeans that would be uncomfortable. And his shirt reeked of booze and stars knows what else from the club. There was a pause and a wonderful alcohol induced idea came to Papyrus in that moment. He glanced over at Sans sleeping form, noticing how Sans only took up half of the small bed. It was almost as if he was expecting the other to be there. Stars that was cute. Papyrus smiled once more. With Sans scooted over on the bed, he wouldn’t have to wake him. He could strip down, sleep naked, then wake up before the other and get redressed. Sans would never know. It was a perfect 100% full proof plan. Alcohol always gave him such great ideas. What didn’t he drink more?

 

Papyrus removed his clothes as quietly as possible before neatly folding them and placing the clothing on the top of the dresser. With his clothes set for the next day, the skeleton turned and walked towards the bed, freezing before he could reach the sheets.

 

In the time Papyrus had thought over his plan and removed his clothes, Sans had moved and sprawled out over the bed. The small skeleton laid on his back, both arms laid on each side of his head upon his pillow. His face calm and peaceful as his teeth parted ever so slightly with his steady breathing. During his shifting his shirt had risen, exposing most of his ribs, spine, and the tops of his iliac crests.

 

Oh no.

 

Papyrus fidgeted with his hands nervously, his magic stirring in his bones at the sight. A soft orange glow from Papyrus’s burning cheeks lit the dark, quiet room. Papyrus tried desperately to think of a way to move the small skeleton without waking him, but staring at him sprawled out like that wasn’t helping! The warmth of the alcohol helped heat up Papyrus’s bones further as his magic began to respond. No no no no! Now was not a good time. Sans was sleeping. He couldn’t wake the small skeleton no matter how cute and enticing he looked…

 

“Mmm… Pap…”

 

Papyrus’s face glowed brighter as he looked down at Sans. The small skeleton moved a bit and nuzzled his pillow, a soft blue glow forming on his cheekbones. Now this just wasn’t fair. Sans was dreaming about him. Papyrus wanted nothing more than to hug the small skeleton close, to kiss him, to touch him, to feel him… The taller skeleton shivered as the alcohol heated his bones along with his ever increasing magic. The warmth began to travel down his spine and pool at his pelvis making the cool air of the room a moot point.

 

“Nnh…”

 

Papyrus watched as Sans began to pant softly in his sleep, his blue blush ever increasing. Papyrus stiffened at the sight that was accompanied by the skeleton’s small moans. What in the world was Sans dreaming about?

 

As if on que Sans began to writhe in bed, his hips bucking ever so slightly. “Ahh… Paps…”

 

Papyrus gasped seeing the familiar blue glow beneath the small skeleton’s basketball shorts. Okay, now he knew what Sans was dreaming about. Papyrus’s magic began to buzz stronger as his imagination began to run wild with images of what Sans could be dreaming about. Each one depicting the smaller skeleton pinned under him.

 

Papyrus watched as Sans began to pant harder, his hips bucking up desperately towards some invisible force looking for that delicious friction. With a hard gulp he looked down and saw his magic had manifested his ecto cock. The orange appendage was already hard and dripping with excitement with the sight of Sans writhing and moaning his name in his sleep. After a few moments of hesitation, Papyrus slowly reached down and gripped his aching member while he looked back up to watch Sans.

 

“Papy-ah!” Sans tongue began to coalesce as the small skeleton moaned louder, his hips bucking harder into the air. Sans face scrunched in pleasure as a shiver rippled over his bones causing his toes to curl.

 

Papyrus panted softly as he stroked himself to the erotic sight before him. How Sans could be so cute and so incredibly sexy was beyond him. His cock throbbed with each moan that shot through him, the sounds of Sans dream filled pleasure quickly exciting his own magic.

 

Sans cyan tongue lulled out as he gripped the pillow behind his head. His panting came out ragged and his formed cock tented in his black basketball shorts. A small damp spot began to form on the cloth as Sans moved and swayed his pelvis, desperately searching for any physical friction or stimulation.

 

“P-paps… Please… Please… Nnnh!”

 

Papyrus froze. Sans was begging for him in his sleep. Sans please shot an exciting shiver up the taller skeleton’s spine. He wanted to ravish the small skeleton so bad. To devour his mouth in kisses, to feel every bone on his boy, to watch the other scream in the throes of passion as he came by his hands. But he couldn’t just take Sans right now. Their first time had to be special, it had to be meaningful, it had to be-

 

“Ahh! Papyrus fuck me!”

 

Papyrus bit back a moan hearing Sans begging. Stars this was too much, he couldn’t take it. Sans needed him, right now.

 

The tall skeleton moved onto the bed and carefully pulled Sans shorts down. He discarded the clothing carelessly as he looked over Sans aching member. The neglected erection twitched as it leaked precum from its tip. Slowly, Papyrus positioned himself and straddled the smaller skeleton below him. Before he had time to do anything, he felt Sans hard cock pressing and rubbing against his own. Papyrus threw his head back as he covered his mouth with his bony hand. Stars this felt so good. He glanced down and saw that Sans was still fast asleep. Papyrus’s blush grew. He could only hope Sans was having a good dream. With a slow, steady pace Papyrus began to rock against Sans aching member. The glowing appendages rubbed firmly against one another, precum dripping down and coating the cocks till they were slick.

 

“Ah Sans…” Papyrus tried to keep quiet as he rutted against the skeleton below him, the motion rocking Sans body gently. He wish he could grab their cocks and stroke them, but he was sure that would wake the smaller skeleton. Papyrus shut his eyes as he rocked faster, the sounds of soft panting and slick cocks rubbing together filled the quiet room.

 

Stars this was amazing, but it wasn’t enough. Papyrus loved the feel of Sans magic pressing against his, but his cock still throbbed for more stimulation.

 

Suddenly there was a hand gripping at his cock. Papyrus’s eyes shot open and he saw Sans staring up at him, his gaze half lid and his mouth open as he panted heavily.

 

“S-SANS, YOU’RE…” Papyrus struggled to find the right words. When had Sans woken up? He could feel his magic pulsing excitingly. The thrill of getting off with Sans while he was asleep was replaced with the excitement of finally being able to ravish the skeleton before him.

 

“Heh, I guess dreams really do come true. Because here you are all ready for me.” Sans smirked as he gripped Papyrus’s cock more firmly and began to stroke the member eagerly.

 

“NYEH! SANS!” Papyrus didn’t hold back as he bucked into Sans hand, his magic stirring and building at his pelvis. He panted heavily as blissful waves of pleasure washed over his bones. Stars this felt amazing. Sans hand felt amazing.

 

Papyrus couldn’t hold back as he bucked into Sans hand, his magic relishing in the relief of Sans touch. He could feel Sans working his member, the small skeleton’s thumb gliding over the tip and teasing his slit till more precum leaked out. Papyrus let out a cry of pleasure at the small release.

 

“That’s it, come on. Stars you’re amazing Paps...” Sans panted out as he watched the skeleton above him with heated gaze.

 

Somewhere in his pleasure induced daze, Papyrus remembered Sans neglected erection. He reached down and gripped the smaller skeletons cock and began pumping him in earnest.

 

“Ah! Paps! Yes!” Sans tongue lulled out as he moaned freely, his aching member twitching in Papyrus’s firm grip.

  

Both skeletons panted heavily as they rocked into each other’s hands. The rhythmic pumping of each cock filled the room with more slick noises. Precum dribbled between the throbbing shafts, coating their hands as they stroked faster.

 

“P-papyrus-nnh! I’m.. I’m close!” Sans looked up at the taller skeleton with desperate need, his face flushed a dark blue. His body rocked into the others touch causing the bed to squeak beneath the two.

 

“SANS! I’M ALMOST… AHH!” Papyrus leaned down and captured Sans mouth in a heated, sloppy kiss. Their tongues desperately sought out the other as they pressed themselves as close together as possible.

 

Sans writhed feeling his ribs rub and press flush against Papyrus, his cock throbbing with every stoke of the taller skeleton’s hand. A shiver ran up his spine as his magic pooled at his pelvis. Every stroke began to shoot a wave of warm tinging magic over his bones. He was close.

 

“SANS! AHH! I CAN’T… I’M GOING TO… NYEH!!” Papyrus held onto Sans and pumped the smaller skeletons cock swiftly while he came. Waves of pleasure washed over his bones as spurts of cum shot up and coated Sans exposed rib cage in warm orange magic.

 

“Ah! Paps don’t stop! I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna-Ahh! Sans shuttered in Papyrus’s hold as he released his load into the other skeleton’s hand, some of his cum squirting up and covering Papyrus’s ribs in his own blue magic.

 

Both skeletons flopped down onto the bed, their chests heaving as they focused on steadying their breaths and racing souls. There was a moment of clarity as the two looked into each other’s eyes, the feeling of time itself stopped. Slowly, Sans reached over and gently ran his phalanges across Papyrus’s still glowing cheek. The taller skeleton’s sockets widened a fraction. He could feel the soft tingles of magic sparking on his cheek where Sans was caressing. Papyrus watched Sans stare at him, a content smile spread across the small skeleton’s face. The sight looked incredible; like nothing else in the world mattered, like he was meant to be right here… by Sans side.

 

A soft orange glow began to illuminate both skeleton’s faces. Sans looked down expecting to see Papyrus’s magic formed and ready for round two. Instead his eyes landed on the other skeleton’s chest. There, behind the protection of his sternum and rib cage was Papyrus’s soul, glowing softly in the dark moon lit room.

 

Sans sockets widened causing Papyrus to look down as well. The tall skeleton faltered and quickly grabbed the sheet to cover up his glowing. This was embarrassing! He was showing in front of Sans.

 

“No wait…” Sans gently reached down and eased away Papyrus’s iron clad grip on the sheets.

 

After a few moments, Papyrus relented and allowed Sans to pull the sheet away. The taller skeleton shut his sockets tight, unable to handle Sans staring at him. It was one thing to have Sans stare at his face or bones. It was a completely other thing to have Sans stare at his soul.

 

“It’s beautiful…”

 

Papyrus opened his eyes surprised. He looked over to the skeleton next to him and saw Sans gazing softly at his soul with an expression he’d never seen before. Sans eye lights simmered and a soft cyan blush dusted his cheeks. The small skeleton before him looked so calm and… happy.

 

Slowly, Sans raised his bony hand and placed it ever so gently over Papyrus’s sternum. There was the familiar sparks of magic where their bones made contact.

 

Papyrus was about to say something when a muted glow caught his attention. He looked down at Sans and gasped seeing a familiar blue glow beneath Sans t-shirt. Papyrus didn’t say anything, he didn’t need to. His eyes trailed back up to Sans skull and caught the others gaze, their shared looks saying everything.

 

With a shaky hand, Sans grabbed his shirt and lifted the garment so the glow of his soul shined freely.

 

With careful ease, Papyrus reached over and placed a gentle hand on the smaller skeleton’s sternum in return, the comforting magic sparks ever present across his phalanges.

 

Papyrus smiled brightly as he held Sans gaze. It was easy to see Sans was scared, the small skeleton’s bones were shaking. Yet Sans was still lying next to him. He wasn’t running. He wasn’t hiding. Sans was right here next to him. And was trusting him enough to expose his soul to him.

 

That… meant everything to Papyrus.

 

The two stayed like this for a while, lying next to one another as their souls glowed in the presence of one another. The warmth from the souls filled the room, creating a relaxed comfortable air around them.

 

As minutes gave way to hours both skeletons found it hard to keep their eyes open. Before they knew it, the two had fallen fast asleep.

 

___________________________

 

Upbeat dance music played quietly inside the lab room as Rus wrote down a list of ideas and possible equations on a transparent glass board. The hoodie clad skeleton fiddled with his toothpick in his mouth as he stared at the board, deep in thought, tapping the marker against the glass as he contemplated the group’s next possible steps. “Hey Red, come take a look. You think we’re missing anything?”

 

Red paused from reading one of the many science journals strewn about the table before him to walk over to the glass board next to Rus. The small skeleton brought along his coffee and took a small sip as he looked over the list Rus had written out. “Oh here. We’ll need some parts from the robotics department if we’re going to build the Determination container.” Red pointed out, tip toeing to reach the spot on the list where the container would logically come into play.

 

“You’re right.” Rus added the new item to the list as his friend continued to sip his beverage. 

 

Red gulped down the rest of his second cup of coffee before tossing the empty cup into a nearby trash bin. Red’s aim was on point as the cup landed in the trash on his first try. Possibly due to Red’s overstimulated mind and body thanks to the coffee.

 

Rus looked down at his caffeinated friend and let out a soft chuckle. “You know you could have slept in my bed last night. The floor didn’t look all that comfortable.” Rus recalled waking up to find Red asleep in his room on his floor. He remembered the smaller skeleton falling asleep on their couch, so for some reason in the middle of the night Red was forced to relocate to the semi quietness of Rus’ room.

 

“It wouldn’t have mattered. Sans and Papyrus were loud enough to be heard even in your room with the door closed.” Red let out a long yawn as he thought about the lack of sleep he had last night. Sometime in the early morning hours Red had been awoken by loud moans and cries of pleasure coming from Sans room. For the most part Sans and Papyrus didn’t do anything sexual other than regularly make out. But last night, apparently the two skeletons had abstained from their desires long enough. Red had grabbed his blanket and pillow and moved from the couch in the living room to Rus’ room where he found the extra door and walls did nothing to quiet the noises of the two love birds. Somehow Rus had slept like a rock monster through the whole night while as Red tossed and turned on Rus’ floor.

 

Rus chuckled again at Red. He never would have pegged Red to be a light sleeper. A thought suddenly occurred to him. Rus wondered exactly how much sleep Red got whenever he slept in his own apartment. He was aware Doggo would have people over and throw parties constantly, even through the wee hours of the night. Red must never get that much sleep now that he thought about it. “Hey Red?”

 

“Hm?” The smaller skeleton looked up at Rus. There were dark circles under Red’s sockets. The stress of the past few weeks and the lack of sleep seemed to be affecting him, even if he tried not to show it.

 

“You still panning to go to your elective class after lunch?” Rus knew this was a touchy subject. Thanks to the homecoming game and its festivities, all classes after 12pm were canceled the previous day, meaning Red had yet to see Fell after the incident from yesterday morning. Neither Rus nor Red had talked about the incident they saw. He didn’t want to think about Blue holding hands with another person and he was sure Red felt the same about Fell. There was a silent understanding between the two that they wouldn’t discuss the subject until after the football game once the initial shock had worn off.

 

Red’s face fell as he looked down at the floor, his bony hand instinctively reaching up and holding onto the collar around his neck. “I’m not sure…” Red was never one to skip class. Keeping up with his grades were important and normally he would never consider actively missing a lesson. But now… Red wasn’t sure he could face seeing Fell, none the less act completely normal through the entire class. Fell had been the one to avoid Red these past few weeks, so would it really matter if he missed a class? It’s not like Fell would care.

 

“You know you should just take a break. Spend the hour catching up on homework so when you go home you can go straight to bed.” Rus could understand why Red wouldn’t want to go to class. Hell he hadn’t gone to his psychology class in weeks. The only reason Rus was still keeping up in Blue’s class was because Jenny had a crush on him and kept giving him her notes. He was glad attendance wasn’t mandatory.

 

“Maybe you’re right…” Red sighed and let his hand drop from his collar. Besides, Rus had a point, he could really use the extra time to catch up on his other class work.  

 

There was a small *blip* sound in the lab causing Rus and Red to look up in time to see Sans and Papyrus teleport in. The two skeleton monsters were brushing out their clothes as if they had gotten ready in a hurry.

 

“Hey you two. Glad you could make it. You’ve missed half the day already.” Rus teased as he leaned against the glass board.

 

“Yeah thanks for waking us up.” Sans said playfully as he took off his messenger bag and set it on a nearby table. Sans was never one to complain about getting extra sleep, but Papyrus on the other hand had woken in a panic after seeing how late they had slept in. Sans knew the jock skeleton was a stickler for punctuality, so sleeping in and missing half the day of school was probably Papyrus’s worst nightmare come true. Even so, it was worth it getting those few extra hours to be able to sleep in the tall skeleton’s arms. Sans couldn’t help but smile happily at the thought. Deep down he was grateful for Rus letting them sleep in, but he wasn’t going to say that out loud with Papyrus in the room.

 

“Sorry about that. Red and I figured you two needed the extra sleep seeing as you guys were up late screaming each other’s names.” Rus raised his brow bones suggestively as an amused smile spread across his face. Red groaned and smacked a bony hand to his forehead. Damn Rus for bringing it up and making everything awkward.  

 

Both Papyrus and Sans flinched as their cheeks began to glow their respective colors.  

 

Shit, had they been that loud?

 

After a few more awkward jokes from Rus and a couple hard glares from Sans, the subject was dropped and the four skeletons moved onto other subjects. Sans and Rus went over the board as they added new ideas and equations to the list while Papyrus sat with Red as he talked about a couple new Mettaton shows that he wanted Red to watch. Red listened along and nodded from time to time as he allowed Papyrus to do most of the talking. He still wasn’t completely awake enough to hold a conversation. He wasn’t angry at Sans or Papyrus, he knew they weren’t trying to be loud on purpose.

 

The four skeletons continued with calm chatter for the rest of the lunch break. Red watched as Sans and papyrus got their stuff ready to head out towards their culinary class. The small skeleton smiled as he watched Papyrus fix Sans wrinkled sweater vest. It was a commendable effort to get Sans to look presentable, but everyone knew that sweater vest was just going to get tossed on the floor as soon as Sans went home. Red huffed in amusement seeing his look-alike become flustered with the way Papyrus was putting his hands all over the small skeleton. Their new jock friend really was something else. It was obvious Papyrus was a very sincere and caring monster. A little naive at times, but that only added to his charm. He was happy those two found each other. He was happy for Sans.

 

Red then turned to look at Rus who was changing the stations on the radio. A small frown spread across his face. Now if only Rus could be happy too. Red could tell Rus had been opening up to professor Blue in the same way Sans was to Papyrus. In the time that Rus had been hanging out with Blue, Red noticed the taller skeleton stopped flirting with random students. Rus wouldn’t go out to the club at night and randomly bring someone home, only to teleport to school in the morning to avoid the awkward after sex conversation. He could see the way Rus looked at Blue with more than friend eyes. He noticed the way Rus would hug Blue or place the small skeleton in his lap whenever they would hang out at lunch. He couldn’t even begin to imagine how much his friend was hurting.

 

Just as the lunch break neared its end and everyone was saying their goodbyes, the doors to the lab opened up.

 

Silence filled the room.

 

All monsters went quiet as all eyes fell on the person standing at the entrance.

 

There in the doorway stood Blue. He shifted nervously while hugging a book to his chest. The small skeleton tried to force a smile onto his skull, but the smile faded as soon as he saw all the shocked stares from the others. Blue could feel his phalanges become clammy as his soul hummed nervously in his rib cage.

 

Red immediately looked over to Rus. The tall skeleton stood completely still and had a look of indifference plastered on his face. But Red knew better. On closer inspection, Red could see Rus was desperately trying to keep his mask up and hold everything together. At Rus’ sides, Red saw the other skeleton’s hands clenched into tight fists, his phalanges shaking lightly. Red also noticed he could feel Rus’ soul pulsing painfully, so much that he could sense it through the space between them. Red frowned. Even though Rus wasn’t showing it outwardly, there was no mistaking the hidden look of hurt in his friend’s eyes. Red then turned back towards the entrance to see Blue frown and look down towards the floor. The small skeleton gripped the book he was holding tighter to his chest.

 

To say there was an awkward tension in the air was an understatement.

 

After a few moment, Blue slowly approached Papyrus and extended the book he was holding to the jock skeleton. “Here… I just wanted to return your cook book, and thank you for letting me borrow it.” The small skeleton forced a weak smile onto his face as he looked up at the other. Even though they hadn’t spent much time together, Blue had found somewhat of a friend in Papyrus. The jock skeleton would still message him occasionally, trading cooking recipes, asking how his day went. He was grateful for the student. Papyrus would occasionally slip in information about Rus, letting him know how the other skeleton was doing. Blue could tell Papyrus was trying to slowly ease the small skeleton into talking to Rus. Heck, he was the one that texted Blue to meet him in the lab today to return the book. Out of all places. But Blue still showed. Part of him was grateful for it. Papyrus was giving him the perfect excuse to see Rus. And now maybe that he was here, he could force himself to talk to the taller skeleton. Clear up any possible misunderstandings. Blue felt his soul speed up nervously at the thought. All his worries came flooding to the forefront of his mind. Did Rus hate him? Was he sleeping with Red? Was there any fixing what they had? An image of Rus glaring down at Blue and telling him he never wanted to see him again flashed through the small skeleton’s skull. He was beyond nervous.

 

But there was no backing down now.

 

He had to do this.

 

They had avoided each other long enough. 

 

Papyrus returned the smile and took the book gratefully. “THANK YOU, BLUE! YOU MUST TELL ME HOW THE RECIPES TURNED OUT.” Papyrus was pretty intuitive. He was desperately trying to keep Blue in the same room as Rus, hoping that maybe one of them would have the courage to ask the other to speak, and hopefully resolve whatever issue was going on between the two.

 

Blue smiled gratefully at the attempt at keeping the conversation going. “Well some of them came out great! I had a bit of trouble with a few of the pasta dishes.” Blue felt a little more relaxed while talking with Papyrus. Although he could still feel Rus’ stare from across the room. The small skeleton tried to ignore it as he continued to speak with the jock skeleton. Just give it a little more time. After he was done talking with Papyrus he could casually turn to Rus and talk to him.

 

After surveying the awkward looks both Rus and Blue were giving each other, Sans sighed heavily as he moved towards Red’s side. Sans slowly leaned towards Red and whispered low as so no one else could hear, “So I’m guessing Mom and Dad are still fighting?” Sans asked as he tried not to stare at either Blue or Rus.

 

Red gave a weary smile to his look-alike, not sure what to say. Papyrus, Sans, and Red had all dubbed Blue and Rus to be the Mom and Dad of their little messed up family. It was an inside joke that neither one told Rus about. Although, this was before Red knew why Rus and Blue were fighting. It was hard to look at Blue and call him Mom now that he knew there was something going on between the other small skeleton and Fell. Red didn’t know how to tell Sans Blue was with someone else and that’s why Rus was so hurt. For one, it wasn’t his secret to tell. For two, if Red said this out loud… it meant accepting that it was real.

 

The sound of books rustling and a backpack being zipped up caught the room’s attention. Everyone turned and watched as Rus flung his backpack carelessly over his shoulder and silently walked out of the classroom. Even though his face didn’t show, it was easy to tell the taller skeleton was hurting, everyone could sense it.

 

Blue looked down to the floor as he heard the lab doors close behind Rus. His soul swelled with a mix of emotions, none of them good. His hand clenched as he tried to hold back the swell of tears forming in his sockets. He knew Rus hated him. Why did he think even for a second the other skeleton would even consider talking to him again?  

 

Before Blue could dissolve into tears he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. The small skeleton looked up and saw Papyrus staring back with a concerned face. “Go talk to him…” Even though Papyrus was using his subdued voice, the words carried through the silent lab room. Blue turned his gaze towards the other two skeletons, looking to see if they too thought it was a good idea. Sans gave a lazy smile and nodded his head in agreement while Red turned his head away, unable to look at the professor.

 

Blue hesitated seeing Red turn away. What if Aphys was right about Rus and Red? What if Rus didn’t want to talk to him because he moved on? Well it wasn’t like they were dating… But still! What if Rus didn’t need him? He had Red… Right now he was living in limbo, in a state where Rus could both hate and not hate him. If he spoke to Rus he would finally have his answer. He wasn’t sure he was prepared for it. He wasn’t sure his soul could take the official rejection.

 

Red sighed heavily as he reached up and ran his phalanges across the metal tag on his collar, his fingertips tracing the engraved F. Red didn’t understand what was going on with Fell and Blue. He didn’t know anything. All he knew was being away from Fell hurt. It hurt worse than any physical pain Doggo had inflicted on him. And he knew that Rus felt the same way about being apart from Blue. While holding onto his red leather collar, Red walked up to the professor. With as much determination he could muster, Red stared into Blue’s eyes with a fierce look. “Go fucking talk to Rus and clear up whatever problem it is you two have. Because he cares about you, and he’s been a wreck ever since you two stopped talking. I don’t know how you feel about Rus, but there’s no way you couldn’t have noticed his feelings for you. I don’t know if you have someone else…” Red’s voice cracked. “I don’t know what’s going on between you and professor Fell…” Red had to take a moment to make sure he wasn’t going to break down. He forced down the emotions bubbling up as he cleared his throat, his resolve staying strong. Red caressed the red leather cloth of the collar he was still holding. The feel of the material giving him support. “But if you want Rus... stop messing around with other people and just go after him. Because for fuck sakes everyone knows he wants you. Hell, he needs you…” Red finished his rant and kept his hard gaze on Blue, his grip on his red collar keeping his hand from shaking.

 

Blue flinched a little taken back by Red’s sudden burst of confidence. As long as he’d known the other skeleton, Red had always been shy and timid. But now… Blue couldn’t help but feel confidence swell in himself hearing Red say Rus cared about him. That he wanted him. That he needed him… Blue couldn’t help but smile. If Red was telling him all this, telling him to go to Rus, then it couldn’t mean he and Rus were together. The way Red looked hurt when talking about Fell said it all. Red wanted Fell, not Rus. Everything was abundantly clear now. And instead of hiding from the problem like Blue had been doing these past few weeks, Red had stepped up and confronted the issue head on. Here the shy, nervous skeleton was standing up to him, giving him the harsh boost he needed. If he thought about it, Red kind of reminded him of Fell in this moment.

 

“Get going. Go get Rus.” Red ordered as he felt a small smile of his own spread across his face. He didn’t know what Blue was to Fell. But he knew Blue was important to Rus, and his friend’s happiness was what was important right now.

 

Blue’s smile brightened as he nodded to Red. **_‘Thank you Red.’_** The small skeleton waved goodbye to Papyrus and Sans as he ran out of the lab room, chasing after Rus.

 

Red stood silently as he watched Blue leave. The small skeleton finally let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. His hand dropped from his collar before turning to sit back down at a table where he resumed looking over a few science journals.

 

Sans made his way to Papyrus’s side as both skeletons finished packing up their bags, getting ready for class. Papyrus shared a knowing smile with Sans as the two started towards the door silently. Sans couldn’t help but let his smile spread wide. He was proud of Red for the way he stood up and pushed Blue to go after Rus.

 

Papyrus paused at the door and turned back towards the lab, watching Red pour over more science journals. “RED, ARE YOU NOT GOING TO CLASS?”

 

Red looked up and waved his hand dismissively. “Nah, I’m going to stay late and keep working.”

 

“Well don’t stay too late, buddy.” Sans took Papyrus’s hand and the two left the lab, leaving the other small skeleton to his work.

 

Red sighed as he sat back in his chair reviewing all the theories and information that needed to be looked over before the group could move on to their next steps of the experiment. The small skeleton ran a bony hand across his face as he felt exhaustion pilling over him. He didn’t have much sleep last night and the ordeal with Blue was more taxing that he thought it would be. Red looked around the room with a small huff. He was going to need more coffee. It was going to be a late night at the lab.

 

_______________________

 

Blue exited the science building, his chest rising and falling as he tried to catch his breath. Stars Rus was fast. Damn that skeleton for having such long legs. Blue speed walked further into campus, his eyes darting around for any signs of Rus’ trademark orange hoodie. Unless Rus teleported, the other skeleton should be around here somewhere-

 

Blue’s face light up as he spotted Rus leaning against a tree, hiding under its shade. The tall skeleton had his head down as he typed away on his phone. Blue swallowed hard feeling a wave of nervousness wash over him as he walked towards the other skeleton. This was it, he was going to talk to Rus, apologize, put all the misunderstandings behind them. Red had given him the confidence he needed and he wasn’t going to let this opportunity slide.

 

Right as Blue opened his mouth to call out Rus’ name he saw a rabbit monster walk up to the skeleton’s side and hug him. Blue stopped in his tracks. Wait a minute, he recognized that rabbit monster. That was Jenny, a student in his class. Blue watched as Rus hugged Jenny back, the rabbit monster holding on much longer than a normal friendship hug would entail. Slowly the small skeleton monster crept forward, his body moving on its own. He moved close enough to hear the two’s conversation, standing behind a nearby tree.

 

“Thanks for the notes Jenny. They’ve been a big help.” Jenny handed Rus some papers and the tall skeleton stuffed them into his backpack.

 

“Oh no problem! It’s just a shame I haven’t been able to see you in class.” Jenny rocked on her heals as she looked around. The rabbit monster tucked her hair behind one of her large ears as she cleared her throat to catch Rus’ attention yet again. “You know… I’ve been wondering...”

 

“Hm?” Rus pulled out his pack of cigarettes, pulling a fresh stick from the box. He was only half listening. It would be rude to snatch Jenny’s free notes and run, so he figured he’d stand and chat for a while.

 

“I was wondering if you’d like to go out tonight. We could head to Grilbz, grab a few drinks… then we could…” Jenny placed a paw against Rus’ chest as she leaned up, whispering something against the side of his skull where his ear would be.

 

Rus froze, almost dropping the cigarette in his hand. “Oh really?” The tall skeleton smirked at Jenny while the rabbit monster giggled playfully.

 

Rus stared at Jenny for a while, his cool demeanor faltering for a bit. He knew it was only a matter of time till Jenny made a move. She wasn’t a shy girl. If she wanted something, she was going to go for it. But if he said no, did that mean she would stop giving him her notes? Most likely…

 

The tall hoodie clad skeleton rubbed the back of his vertebra as he thought through his options. He had no intention of sleeping with Jenny. It wasn’t anything against her. She was hot, funny, easy to talk to. It was just… His mind was still occupied by a certain blue eyed skeleton. And the thought of being with anyone else right now (even though he was sure Blue was with someone else) didn’t sit right with him. There was still a small, very small twinge of hope in his soul that maybe Blue would come to him and say this had all been some horrible joke.

 

Rus looked up at Jenny who was eyeing him impatiently. This didn’t seem like an offer he could turn down and still keep receiving notes from the girl. And he needed those notes since he was avoiding Blue and the class all together. There really wasn’t any other option he could see. 

 

“Yeah sure. I’ll see you there at 9.” Rus hoped that if he could get her drunk enough, she would just pass out and forget about having sex. That was it. That was his goal.

 

“See you then hot stuff.” Jenny winked as she traced a fuzzy finger down the front of Rus’ hoodie.  

 

Rus and Jenny said their goodbyes before each monster went their separate ways. The interaction between the two was over as quickly as it began.

 

Blue stood still as he watched Rus walk away from behind his tree, his hand shaking as it clenched at the bark. Tears pricked at the corners of his sockets, but he refused to let them fall, no matter how painfully his soul pulsed in his chest. Rus had moved on? He was with Jenny now?

 

No!

 

His bony hand clenched into a tight fist as his determination returned full force.

 

No, he was not going to accept this.

 

Blue ran away from Rus once before. He ran away without getting his facts straight. He jumped to conclusions and caused pain for everyone involved. But it wasn’t going to happen again, not if Blue could help it. Red’s words buzzed through his head as courage and determination burned in his bones. He wasn’t going to let this happen again. He was going to get to the bottom of this. If Rus truly hated him, then so be it. But if there was a small chance that this wasn’t a legitimate date with Jenny, then Blue was going to fight for his student. He was going to fight for Rus.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Out of everyone, turns out Red knows how to handle shit.  
> The power of determination is strong ;)
> 
> Shout out to screamingbasement for beta reading o(^▽^)o  
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	13. Determination Pt. 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)
> 
> **WARNING: Please note Trigger Warning for this chapter.**

 

Loud dance music pumped through the speakers at Grilbz as bodies jumped and pressed together on the dance floor. Groups of monsters chatted away on the sides while others found a secluded corner to make out. The smell of sweat and alcohol filled the air, covering the club with a haze.  It was a Friday night and students were out looking for the time of their lives.

 

Blue sat awkwardly at a table in the back, doing his best to keep his head down as he scanned the club. This was ridiculous. He was being ridiculous. There was no reason for him to be here. If he was caught, there was no way to avoid looking like a creepy stalker. The small skeleton felt a nervous sweat drop as he looked around all the monsters grinding on the dance floor. Part of him felt relieved that he hadn’t spotted Rus yet. This club didn’t look like a place for simple friends to hang out. Blue looked down at the table as he recalled the conversation he overheard between Rus and Jenny. Blue wasn’t dense, he could easily see the rabbit monster had a crush on Rus. But the real question, the reason why Blue was staking out the club, was to see if Rus returned those feelings.

 

Blue let out a small sigh as he continued to look around the mix of monsters and humans. He had spent weeks moping about, wondering if Rus and Red were a thing, and today Red swooped in and dispelled those worries in a matter of seconds. Seconds, that’s all it took to clear up that misunderstanding. Thanks to the courage Red gave him, Blue was finally able to look at things clearly. Had he just gone to the Rus in the first place, he could have avoided these past few dreadful weeks. He would have been able to apologize immediately for his behavior, and he wouldn’t be here stalking Rus on his possible date.

 

Possible date…

 

Stars what was he doing? What if this was a date? What would he do then? Was it too late to make amends with Rus?

 

Blue sighed heavily and ran his bony hands across his face. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing. Rus was still Rus; even if the stars aligned and he forgave Blue for his behavior, what then? Rus didn’t do relationships. Rus didn’t believe in love and romance. Was he really that selfish to ensure Rus never had a sexual encounter with anyone just so he could keep the lazy, hoodie loving skeleton all to himself?  Blue stilled at the thought. There he goes being selfish again. Only thinking about himself and what he wanted from Rus.

 

Just then, there was a sound of glass being set on the table. Blue opened his sockets and saw a drink had been placed before him. The small skeleton’s eyes trailed up to the figure at the other end of the table, landing on a tall, handsome human. The man had tan skin and dark hair. Blue could see the human was rather fit due to the toned muscles showing through the tight shirt he wore. His smile was bright, but not nearly as bright as his stunning green eyes.  Blue was shocked. Not many humans came to monster districts, and those who did usually came with a group of friends ‘just to be safe’. There was an unspoken tension between monsters and humans, and with conflicts growing by the day it was a rare sight to see a human alone so deep in monster territory.

 

“Hi there, the names Avery. Mind if I sit?” The human gestured to the other side of the booth, waiting for the skeleton’s permission to join.

 

Blue shook off the initial shock in time for him to stammer out a small “sure” as he watched the tall human sit down.

 

After an awkward silence filled the air, Avery nodded his head in the direction of the drink in front of Blue. “I uh got that for you. You looked a little stressed out. Figured you could use a little pick me up.” The human flashed his bright smile once again.

 

Blue couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. He normally didn’t do this kind of thing. He never really went to clubs, or got wasted, or did any of the things his students did. Blue felt a little more than out of place. But this was an important situation of inter-species caring and sharing, so he wasn’t about to be rude to the friendly human. “Thank you! That was very kind of you!” Blue picked up the glass and downed the contents easily. The small skeleton felt a pleasant warmth spread over his bones making his cheeks glow ever so slightly. “Mm that was tasty!”

 

“Wow, you can really put away that whisky.” Avery chuckled and signaled to a roaming waiter for another drink. It didn’t take long for the Shyren waitress to come back with two more glasses of whisky. Before the monster could set the drinks down Avery helped the young waitress by grabbing the drinks for her. He gave another smile and a wink which sent Shyren blushing and wondering off to tend to other tables.

 

“Here you go.” Avery set one of the glasses in front of Blue and watched as the small skeleton sip happily at his second drink

 

“Thanks human!” Blue got halfway through his second glass before slowing down. His bones were now completely warmed and left a pleasing tingle whenever his clothes rubbed against them.

 

Avery looked down at his drink then back up at Blue, his mouth opening and closing as if he was finding the right words to say. Finally the human stared straight at Blue, liquid courage flowing through him as he spoke up. “So… I don’t mean to be rude or anything, but how does all that… work?” Avery gestured to the drink and Blue’s shirt. The human expected the liquid to just fall through to the floor, yet everything looked completely dry.

 

Blue took a satisfying breath after finishing his second drink, his magic tickling his cheek bones with a full glow. The small skeleton smiled brightly towards the curious human, no offence taken in his happy state. “It’s magic!” He stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

 

Avery let out a small huff as he sipped at his drink some more. Magic. That was always the answer with monsters. It honestly made no sense to him, or most humans for that matter. Monsters were still very much a mystery. Whenever asked to explain things, more times than not they would give an unsatisfying answer. It was frustrating to say the least.

 

Blue sat back in the booth, his soul humming happily with the alcohol. He vaguely wondered how strong that whisky was. Blue was known to be able to drink full bottles of whisky by himself and not be even the slightest bit affected. The reason Blue never got wasted wasn’t for lack of trying, it was because he had an incredibly high tolerance to alcohol.

 

As the warmth from his bones heated up, the small skeleton looked around the club, still scanning for his student. Good, still no sign of Rus. Maybe he blew Jenny off. The thought made Blue smile and giggle happily.

 

Avery watched the skeleton with intense eyes as Blue continued to look around the club. After a while of observing, the human moved and slid closer to the monster in the booth. “Hey, you okay? You seem a little out of it.” Avery looked over Blue’s features, noticing the bright glow on his cheeks.

 

“I’m fine, just looking for someone.” Blue waves his hand dismissively.

 

“Oh. Well are they here?” Avery suddenly looked nervous as he scanned around the club, his eyes darting between monsters on the dance floor.

 

“Nope!” Blue smiled wide. If Rus wasn’t here, then that was a good thing. It was definitely a good thing. Something to celebrate over even.

 

“Uh… okay?” Avery was a little taken back by how happy Blue seemed about the situation.

 

There was another long, awkward moment of silence between the two. Blue still looked out on the dance floor. The lack of Rus’ presence continued to make his soul sing. He’d stay just a little bit longer. Just to make sure Rus’ date never happened. Then he would go find the tall skeleton, tell him he was sorry, and they would be happy ever after. Like some sort of prince charming thing. Stars why was his bones so hot! Blue tried to think of some sort of logical explanation, but his mind was too fuzzy to think straight.

 

“Hey! What do you say we have a dance? Get your mind off that person for a while.” Avery leaned in closer as he placed a hand on Blue’s shoulder.

 

The contact sent a spark of intense pleasure that radiated from his shoulder across his chest and arm. Blue froze and his sockets went wide. That wasn’t normal. First of all whisky didn’t normally affect him, and secondly he was sure whisky didn’t make him feel like… that. Blue shrugged away the hand on his shoulder as he laughed nervously, hoping his demeanor wasn’t giving away how his body felt. “N-no thank youuu. I actually haaaave to leave.”

 

Blue began to panic. His voice was heavily slurred and his body felt like lead was tied to every limb. Slowly the small skeleton slid out of the booth and stood on wobbly legs. It took Blue a while to find his balance before he began walking through the dance floor making a straight line towards the front exit. He had stayed long enough, it was time to go home. Now.

 

Blue did his best to weave in and out of the moving crowds. He didn’t want to chance getting bumped into or knocked down. He wasn’t sure he’d have the strength to get up if that happened. The music pumping through the club was loud, but for some reason Blue couldn’t make out the words. The room began to spin and his vision turned blurry. The small skeleton had to stop in the middle of the dance floor to collect himself.

 

Amongst the waves of blurry bodies, a flash of orange caught Blue’s eye.

 

Blue strained his eyes to focus long enough to make out the orange figure on the other side of the club. There standing towards the back was Rus. And he was with Jenny.

 

Blue’s soul sank in his chest.

 

The small skeleton watched as Rus spoke with Jenny before handing her a drink. The rabbit monster rolled her eyes but smiled and took the drink anyway. After a few more moments of chatter, Jenny reached up and hugged Rus. She then tilted the taller skeleton’s head towards hers and Blue could no longer see their faces.

 

Blue wanted to yell. He wanted to scream Rus’ name. He wanted to drag the skeleton away from Jenny. But he didn’t.

 

He couldn’t.

 

Blue opened his mouth to call out to his student but his voice was so slurred he couldn’t form words. The small skeleton put a hand to his throat as fear shot through his bones. What in the world was happening to him? Blue tried the only other thing he could. He reached towards Rus and tried moving forward, hoping, wishing the other skeleton would see him. But his legs were now beyond wobbly, they were immobile.

 

Blue began to gasp for air as his bones shook with terror. His body wasn’t responding to him. He had no control.

 

“Professor Blue! Looks like you could use some company.” Avery walked up to Blue, his once charming smile replaced with an evil smirk.

 

Blue could only gasp for air and slightly shake his head. Though he wasn’t sure his head actually shook. Everything felt like a dream, like he wasn’t actually there.

 

Wait a second…

 

How did this human know his name?

 

Blue’s bones began to rattle as his mind struggled to make sense of the situation. This wasn’t affects from alcohol, this was caused by something else entirely. He was becoming hyper aware of the danger he was in, and he was pretty sure the human was behind all of it.

 

“Why don’t we head somewhere… private? That way we can get to know each other.” Avery didn’t wait for Blue to protest. He reached down and picked Blue up bridal style, making sure to fan his hands all over the skeleton’s bones. The human leaned down and pressed his lips against the side of Blue’s skull as he whispered to him. “I can’t wait to study every inch of you.”

 

Blue trembled as the humans touches sent fire across his bones. His magic was hyper sensitive and overstimulated. Before he knew it, Avery was carrying him towards the exit of the club. The small skeleton struggled and turned his head the best his body would allow as he looked in Rus’ direction. Blue opened his mouth to call out to the other skeleton, but no sound came.

 

Blue’s sight of Rus was cut off as the doors to the club closed.

 

________________________________

 

Once outside of the club, Blue was promptly blindfolded and tossed inside the back of a van. He could hear the voices of two other men, humans presumably. They ordered one another to grab supplies and in no time flat they were off. Blue struggled to sit up or keep from rolling and hitting the walls of the van with every turn they took. Where ever they were going, it was a bumpy ride. Blue tried to call to them, to ask them where they were taking him, but all that he managed to force out was an incomprehensible groan.

 

“What took you so long, Avery?” Blue heard the high raspy voice of one of the men.

 

“Had to wait for the drug to kick in. Takes longer on monsters.” Avery responded with a chuckle. Blue tried to force through the drug induced haze and focus on his magic. Blue energy sparked and crackled around him but fizzled out before he could manifest any bone attacks.

 

What was that? What happened to his magic?

 

“I’m surprised it worked at all. Seems to uh… have the same affects as it does on humans.” Blue could hear the sound of interest in the raspy man’s voice. He didn’t like that. He didn’t like any of this. He wanted to go home. He wanted to be anywhere else but here. He wanted to be able to control his body again.

  

“Is that so? What do you say we conduct our own _experiments_ before we turn him over to the nerd brigade?” The sound of a man with a deep rumbly voice could be heard right in front of him. Blue froze and laid still. He wasn’t that naive. He could tell what the human was insinuating.

 

“Our orders are to bring him straight in.” Avery commented with slight exasperation in his tone. “You know how rare skeleton monsters are? It took them forever to find this one.”

 

“Aren’t you the least bit curious? I mean who knows how long he’ll last there. Most monsters don’t last the first month. I say we do a test run.” The deep voice insisted while moving closer to Blue. Take him where? What did they mean they didn’t know how long he’d last? Were they going to dust him?

 

“I second that. Avery, either you’re in or watch the van.” The raspy voice chimed in. Blue was shaking now. He tried desperately to scream no and move away, but the drug kept him limp and mute.

 

Blue groaned as the car came to a sudden stop and his skull smacked into something hard. The hit further dazed his frantic mind, making it difficult to even sit up.  

 

There was a sound of rustling and suddenly hands were all over his body. The intensity of the heat that washed over his bones caused the small skeleton to moan out. Blue tried to bite his tongue. He didn’t want to feel this way, not from these human’s hands. The hands roamed across his arms, femurs, and ribs. Each touch alighting sparks of pleasure through his bones.

 

“Wow, looks like the drug really does work. He’s practically begging for it.” The raspy voice human leaned forward and Blue could feel the man’s breath on his skull. Blue tried to lean away but his body didn’t move much. Once again Blue tried to focus on his magic, but the drug kept his concentration from keeping steady. He couldn’t manifest a bone attack nor use blue magic on their souls.

 

After a few more caresses across his ribs, there was a pause. Blue thought maybe the humans had stopped and that was the end of their ‘experiment’, but his thoughts were cut short when there was the sound of cloth tearing and cool air flowed freely over his exposed bones. Blue’s frame shook with renewed terror.

 

“What? What is this? There’s nothing there! What am I supposed to fuck?” The raspy voiced man yelled out in frustration and blue could feel the body moving away from him. It was a small relief.

 

“Hey what’s that?” The deep voiced man questioned. Blue wasn’t sure what he was talking- OH NO!

 

“S-STOP! NO!” Blue screamed when he felt a hand grab his soul from inside his rib cage.

 

“Whoa. Whatever it is, it got the little guy to talk.” The raspy voice chuckled with amusement.

 

The hands on his soul began to rub and caress the little heart shaped object. Blue couldn’t hold back the moans that shot out of his mouth. His body felt like it was on fire. He could feel every touch all over him. His magic buzzed with pleasure as the human continued to touch his soul. With every rub and every stroke of the human’s finger, a wave of pleasure washed up Blue’s spine and spread across his chest. He could feel heat pooling at his pelvis, his magic trying to coalesce into something physical, desperate for stimulation. 

 

“Look it’s wet. Like it’s oozing something. What is this?” The deep voiced human questioned as he pressed down hard on the soul, squeezing it.

 

“STOP! AHH! PLEASE!” Blue could feel pressure all over his body, it was starting to feel suffocating. Tears fell from his sockets but were caught by the blindfold. Blue couldn’t stop his bones from rattling against each other. He didn’t want this! It was one thing for these humans to touch his bones, it was another for them to touch his soul. These disgusting humans were folding his soul, his entire being, as if it was nothing. Only his true love was supposed to touch his soul. His soul was supposed to be shared with his other half. Blue fought as hard as he could, lifting his heavy arms to bat at the two humans. It took all his strength just to move his arms a few inches, there was no way he could push them off him.

 

The two men began to laugh at Blue’s please and struggles. The raspy voiced man speaking up first. “Look at this little guy! What a fighter-“

 

*THUD*

 

“What the hell?” The raspy voice asked in shock as the whole van shoot from the thud. “Avery what the hell is going on out there?” The man waited but there was no response. “Avery?”

 

Just then Blue heard the sounds of metal tearing. He could hear that the back of the van was now open.

 

“W-who are you? Hey get out of-AH!” The raspy voiced man was cut off. Blue heard the familiar ping sound of a soul turning blue as he heard the man fly out of the van.

 

“Oh hell no! Shit-AHH!” The deep voiced man screamed and there was a sound of something wet splattering against the walls of the van. The screams stopped immediately and the van fell silent.

 

Blue’s breathing came out in quick ragged breaths. He wasn’t sure what was going on or if he was going to be hurt next. The small skeleton flinched when he felt the van dip and heard the sound of footsteps coming close. Blue froze and held his breath, waiting for the 1 hit that it would take to kill him.

 

There was nothing.

 

The hit never came.

 

Blue’s body shook as he strained himself to listen for sounds of the other person. “H-hello..?” His voice was still slurred, but was now shaky on top of it.

 

Blue gasped as he felt a hand grab his soul from the humans grasp.

 

A bony hand.

 

Before Blue could question what was going on, he felt the hand place his soul back inside his rib cage where it floated safely behind his sternum. Long arms then wrapped around him, picking him up bridal style. Blue felt the person carry him out of the van where the night’s cool breeze tickled his exposed bones. The small skeleton couldn’t stop as a shiver ran up his spine. He was suddenly very aware that his clothes were no longer on him and that he was completely exposed. Blue tried to lift his arms to cover himself in an attempt to contain at least a little dignity.

 

Blue then felt as he was lowered to a sitting position. He could feel the cold metal of the van below him causing him to shiver more. Blue wanted to take the blindfold off but he was too afraid he’d anger his new captor. He didn’t dare move or try to fight back. So far they seemed like they weren’t going to kill him. The sound of cloth rustling caught the small skeleton’s attention. Suddenly Blue felt a warm top placed over his head. Bony hands helped slip his arms into the long sleeves that draped far past his hands. He could feel the warm top cover his whole body, the end draping all the way down to his knees. Blue felt around and realized the top was a large comfortable hoodie.

 

_A hoodie_.

 

Blue stiffened as he leaned his head down taking in the scent of the hoodie. The familiar and comforting smell of cigarettes and honey filled his nose hole.

 

“Rus?” Blue whispered as his voice shook with hope.

 

“You fucking freak!” Blue heard the familiar sound of Avery’s voice. It sounded weak and hoarse. He could hear the human coughing hard in between heavy breaths. “Look what you did! Wait till this gets out! Everyone will know how vicious monsters are! Then you and Blue here will be taken and-“

 

There was the sound of intense magic crackling above Blue’s head. His soul pulsed at the sheer power the magic was giving off. After a few seconds there was a loud charge of magic, the force and concentration of the attack sounded like a powerful beam. The ground shook and Blue felt an arm wrap around him just in time to keep him from falling over.

 

After a few moments of silence Blue felt arms wrap around him once again. This time he relaxed as he recognized the feel of Rus’ long bony arms picking him up. Blue’s soul calmed down as it felt warm comforting waves radiating from the other skeleton. Slowly, and with as much strength as he could muster, the small skeleton leaned into Rus’ chest while wrapping his arms around the other’s neck. He could feel Rus’ hold tighten around him in response. The touches still warmed his bones, but right now Blue didn’t mind. He knew he was safe in the other skeleton’s arms.

 

Suddenly a strange pressure surrounded him and there was a familiar *blip* sound indicating Rus had teleported.

 

Blue realized they were probably back home now. Either his home or Rus’, it didn’t matter. Blue didn’t even bother to remove the blindfold. All his strength went to holding onto the other skeleton. Slowly Blue felt his sockets become heavy as he let them flutter close, his hold around Rus tightening. Blue’s breathing started to come out in low even breaths. The events of the day and the evening were just too much. He couldn’t stay awake no matter how badly he wanted to.

 

“Blue?” Rus spoke softly, his mouth close to the small skeleton’s skull.

 

“Don’t leave me…” Was all Blue could slur out. His mind was too hazy for him to think of anything else. Having Rus by his side was all he could focus on as his body went limp in the other skeleton’s hold.

 

Before Blue passed out, he could vaguely recall the feeling of teeth clanking with the top of his skull.

 

_______________________________

 

There was a heavy sigh that accompanied the sounds of Bach Cello Suit Number 1 in G. The music filled the small room of Blue’s office while Fell sat at his colleague’s desk, typing away at his laptop. Mid semester testing was upon them quicker than he realized, and he was nowhere near prepared for it. Fell felt his eye socket twitch in annoyance at his own blunder. He had been too preoccupied these past few weeks, his mind flooded with indecision. Fell didn’t do indecision. He didn’t do waiting games. He wanted to talk to Red and get this whole ordeal over with. But he had promised Blue to let him patch things up with Rus first.

 

Fell paused from his typing to look up at the time displayed in the corner of the computer screen.

 

9:00 pm

 

It was incredibly late. Fell sat up straight as he suddenly realized Blue had not come to his office after class. The tall skeleton felt a small twinge of hope blossom in his soul. If Blue wasn’t here, then it was very possible he was held up talking with Rus. A small smirk spread across his sharp teeth. The thought of Blue finally growing a spine and talking to his student was laughable. But he figured the confrontation had to happen sooner or later. He would never admit it out loud, but he was proud of Blue for finally showing some courage.

 

Fell’s smile soon vanished from his face. Blue finally finding the courage to talk to Rus may have come too late.

 

The leather chair creaked as Fell leaned back, letting his skull rest on the top of the chair. He shut his sockets as memories of today’s class flashed through his head. He had gone to class fully prepared to ignore any glances Red shot him, but was surprised to find the small skeletons normal spot on the bench seat was empty. Fell had scanned the room thinking the student had maybe just opted for another seat in the back, but that was not the case. Red wasn’t in class.

 

He wasn’t there.

 

Fell wanted to cancel class and storm out to look for his pet as rage and worry filled his head. But he couldn’t. He had an obligation to his class. So Fell taught the day’s lesson as his eyes glanced at the empty seat the whole hour. He couldn’t deny the ping of regret that stabbed at his soul. He had waited too long for Blue to get his shit together, now Red was the one avoiding _him_.

 

Fell reached up and rubbed a bony hand against his face in exasperation. He hated that he promised Blue that he would let him handle his issue with Rus first. He hated waiting. Look what it got him!

 

After a few moments of rubbing his face, the tall skeleton finally stood up. He gathered his belongings and put on his black leather jacket. Sitting here fuming over his mistakes was not going to fix anything. And he certainly wasn’t going to get any more work done. It was pointless to stay.

 

Fell placed the strap of his bag over his shoulder ready to leave when he saw a flashing red light from the phone on Blue’s desk. Fell turned around towards the phone recognizing the light to be an announcement call made from the school. The university didn’t have an intercom system, so whenever they had messages to get out, they did it through a series of phone calls and texts. The tall skeleton grumbled as he picked up the receiver and pressed the button next to the flashing red light. Some student probably got drunk and ran their skateboard into a window again meaning a section of the campus was probably blocked off till they could clean it up.

 

_“This is an automated announcement for all students and faculty near the west wing of campus. Please evacuate the area. Students are to return to their dorms, and faculty are to leave the campus. Please do not crowed walk paths as they are needed for emergency personnel. This is an automated announcement for all students and faculty near the-“_

Fell hung up the phone as the message began to repeat.

 

An even louder sigh left the skeleton’s mouth as he headed out of Blue’s office. Probably the stupid culinary class again. This new batch of students had caught their stoves on fire 3 times already. Most of the faculty knew about it, it was becoming a running joke to see when the next incident would occur.

 

Fell used the spare key Blue gave him to lock up the smaller skeleton’s office before turning and heading out the building. There were random officers strewn about the campus directing teachers and students to paths they deemed safe. Fell grumbled with annoyance. This detour would mean a longer walk to his car. As Fell walked with the group of people being directed by police in neon vests, he couldn’t help overhearing the nervous conversations going on between uneasy students.

 

“So a building is on fire! Jeez that’s scary!” One female student comments to the other two walking with her.

 

“Hah, it’s probably the culinary building!” A male student chimed in and Fell couldn’t help but smirking. He was probably right.

 

“No it’s not!” The other female student from the group spoke up. “It’s the science building!”  

 

Fell froze.

 

“No way, was it some sort of chemical reaction explosion or something?” The male student joked as the three continued to walk.

 

“I’m not sure. All they know is they’ve found 2 monsters dust already. And they haven’t cleared the building, so they don’t know how many other people may still be inside.”

 

The student’s voices faded as they walked out of hearing range

 

Fell felt his soul tighten in his chest as it seized with panic. His mind began to race thinking back to how Red wasn’t in class today. He desperately tried to rationalize his thoughts. Red ditched class and went home. Or he was at home sick. Both of which Fell didn’t like but it was better than the alternative. Better than thinking that Red was still in the science building…

 

Sounds of firetrucks honking their horns caught Fell’s attention. He looked up and saw a dark plume of smoke rising from the direction of the science building. The student’s words rang through his head making his soul beat frantically. **_‘They’ve found 2 monsters dust already. And they haven’t cleared the building, so they don’t know how many other people may still be inside.’_**

****

Without even realizing it, Fell was running. His long legs sprinting him as fast as he could go in the direction of the science building. Officers called out to the skeleton as he ran past them with blinding speed, never once stopping or wavering. He could feel his soul pounding in his chest as he neared the building, a sheen of sweat covering his skull. He begged for any powerful force that would listen and hoped that the building was fine, that Red was fine. Fear gripped his chest making his throat tighten as he thought of the two monster’s dust they found. No, neither one could be Red. It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t let it be. Fell panted as he tried to think of anything other than Red’s 1 HP and how all it would take is a simple burn to reduce the small skeleton to dust.

 

No, it would be fine. Red was fine. The fire wasn’t going to even be that bad. It was going to be small…

 

Fell slowed down to a stop and his sockets widened at the scene before him. Fire trucks surrounded the building as crew members shot water from hoses onto a raging inferno that licked up the side of the building. Windows shattered as the pressure from the intense heat increased. There were students huddled into fire blankets while paramedics looked over their wounds, their stats showing for medical professionals to see. All the monsters who had HP ranging from 20-50 were sitting at measly 1-2 points, their bodies holding on as bits of dust fluttered off their frame.

 

Fell’s fists shook as his eyes frantically scanned over the monsters near the medical tent.

 

Red was not amongst the rescued students.

 

Fell tried desperately to stay calm as his soul raged in his chest with fear. He wanted to believe that Red was alright. That he was safe at home in his dorm. But Fell’s instincts said otherwise. His soul continued to pulse painfully almost like it was trying to pull him towards the blazing fire. He knew from experience that his instincts were always right…

 

Fell looked up at the building in time to hear a loud creak as one of the middle floors gave way and collapsed, shooting flames out further along the side of the building.

 

_________________________________

 

Blue grumbled and stirred for a while as he fought back the heavy cloud that fogged his head. The small skeleton finally found the strength to move as he pushed himself up on his elbows, peeling his sockets open. Oh stars did his head hurt! His skull throbbed with a dull pain as Blue looked around at his surroundings. Even though the room was dark, the tiny light emanating from the hallway graded at his sockets. Slowly Blue was able to push himself up into a sitting position. There he noticed warm blankets pool at his pelvis. After a moment of looking around, Blue realized that he was in his own room, in his own bed. A small sigh of relief left his mouth as he rest his skull against his plush headboard.

 

What happened to him? Blue tried to recall any memories he had. Hazy images of Blue at Grilbz came to mind. He remembered stalking Rus on his date, meeting a human, then…

 

_Oh_ …

 

Blue felt sick as he recalled the way the humans hands touched him. How close he could feel their breath on him. How they explored every inch of his bones while he lay helpless on the cold floor of the van. How they grabbed and groped his…

 

A shudder ran up Blue’s spine as he gripped at the cloth over his sternum. The soft fabric of the hoodie rubbed pleasantly over his phalanges. The feeling of Rus’ hoodie brought the small skeleton out of his thoughts.

 

Rus’ hoodie.

 

Blue felt a small smile creep across his face as he recalled Rus coming to his rescue. The waves of relief that washed over him once he realized he was safe in the other skeleton’s arms.

 

There was a sound of dishes gently clanking against one another that caught Blue’s attention. The small skeleton looked up at his doorway startled, but immediately relaxed upon seeing Rus standing there holding a bowl in one hand and a glass in the other.

 

“Rus?” Blue sat up straighter as the tall skeleton made his way over to Blue’s side. He watched as Rus sat on the edge of the bed, Blue crossing his legs to allow the other skeleton to sit closer.

 

“Drink this.” Rus handed Blue a cup of what looked to be apple juice.

 

The small skeleton didn’t realize how parched he was until his eyes landed on the beverage. Blue gently took the glass and downed the refreshing drink. The juice sufficiently cured his cotton mouth, but he couldn’t help lapping his tongue at the top of his teeth, tasking a distinct chalky taste.

 

Rus chuckled at the face Blue was making. “There’s medicine in the drink. I figured you’d have a headache when you woke up.” Rus spoke softly, careful not to do anything that would add to any head pains the other may have.

 

Blue smiled gratefully towards the other skeleton as he set the now empty glass on the night stand next to him. “Rus… I wanted to say-“

 

“There’s no need. Just focus on getting your strength back first.” Rus cut the small skeleton off quickly as a look of pain washed over his face.

 

Rus grabbed the utensil from the bowl in his lap and spooned out some soup. Blue looked at the soup curiously. It looked like chicken and dumplings, although it didn’t look too appetizing. Regardless, Blue’s nonexistent stomach clenched painfully reminding him that now was not the time to be a picky eater. Rus held up the spoon and Blue gratefully took a bite. The taste was a little odd. He could pinpoint a few spices that he wasn’t sure were supposed to go with this kind of dish. He could tell Rus put in a lot of effort into the meal. He tried his best. Blue’s soul was warmed by both the soup and the thoughtful gesture.

 

After a few more bites the bowl was emptied. Rus made sure Blue had his fill before he placed the dish on the nightstand next to the glass. “I uh… guess I’ll leave and give you space to rest.” Rus stood up from his spot on the bed only to pause when feeling a skeletal hand grab at his wrist. He looked down and saw worry and fear etched on Blue’s face.

 

“Don’t leave… please…?” Blue was shocked at his own actions. The second he heard Rus say he would leave his soul speed up in fear. He knew Rus meant he would just leave the room, but the thought of the other skeleton even being just a few feet away sent his soul racing. He didn’t want to be alone; physically, emotionally, or any other way. He wanted Rus. He wanted the other near him. Blue knew he was safe in his own home, but he couldn’t stop the residual tremors from shaking his bones. He couldn’t stop the fear that gripped him as memories of the humans played through his head.

 

Rus reached over and gently wiped the tears that were falling from Blue’s sockets. The smaller skeleton jumped a little, not even realizing had had started crying. Rus then slowly stood up and pulled the covers back before carefully easing himself into the bed next to Blue. Blue immediately wrapped his arms around the taller skeleton as he buried his face into the other’s black tank top, his skull pressing onto Rus’ sternum where he could hear the hum of his soul. The covers were pulled back up and tucked around the two enveloping both skeletons in a comforting warmth. The warmth was added when Blue felt Rus’ arms wrap around him and hold him close. The small skeleton closed his sockets tight as he allowed Rus’ soul to cover him in waves of calm, comforting emotions. Slowly his trembling subsided and the two laid still in each other’s arms.  

 

Blue wanted to talk to Rus. Thank the other for saving him. Apologize for how he had treated the student these past few weeks. He wanted to say a million things, like how he only said they couldn’t be friends because he wanted to be more than friends. How he was simply jealous of his and Red’s closeness. How he didn’t care that the other skeleton didn’t like relationships. He just wanted to be with Rus.

 

But he didn’t say anything. The talking could wait. Right now he was just enjoying the feeling of finally being back in Rus’ arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look at that, everything's all better now. Just like you guys wanted. lol
> 
>  
> 
> Shout out to screamingbasement for beta reading o(^▽^)o  
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	14. Listening to Your Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)
> 
> **Sans Playlist:**   
>  [Ed Sheeran - Kiss Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IUfGfOK3z0)

 

Heat radiated from the intense flames that licked up the side of the science building; while workers moved fast to douse the inferno with water, steam billowed to cover the area. A few students sobbed in the medical tent as professionals tended to their wounds. Fell’s eyes watched as the fire danced and scorched the side of the building’s walls, the structure creaking, threatening to give way again. His soul quivered in his chest, the object pulling towards the front as if trying to get Fell to move towards the flames. Fell struggled to keep from dashing forward, his legs itching to move. His mind ran over all the possibilities of where Red could be, trying to ignore the scenarios with Red in the burning building.

 

Red couldn’t be inside. He didn’t want to think about it. But…

 

His soul continued to pull, his instincts screaming at him to run inside and check. Fell felt a drop of sweat cascade down the side of his skull. He couldn’t tell if it was his worry or the heat causing the sweating. Fell took a moment to analyze what his instincts were trying to tell him. He knew better than to go against them. His instincts always guided him in the right direction. They told him to befriend Blue, they told him to get a job in literature, and they told him to pick Red…

 

Now they were telling him that Red was in trouble.

 

Without wasting another moment, Fell dashed forward towards the burning building. Fire workers who were focused on controlling the heavy hose could only yell and call out to the professor as he ran past them. Fell’s right eye ignited with intense magic as energy began to build around him. With a wave of his hand, a row of thick bones shot out and blasted open the front door and Fell ran in.

 

Once inside, Fell’s vision was clouded with thick, dense smoke, making the air nearly impossible to breathe. The tall skeleton used one arm to cover his mouth and nasal cavity as the other stayed extended in front of him, magic brimming on his phalanges at the ready. Fell let his mind map out a mental image of the building’s layout based off the information Blue had given him during his lunch visits. The skeleton grumbled as he ran into a few dead ends, annoyed at not paying more attention to Blue’s ramblings. Fell paused as he passed a half melted sign on the wall that read “Lab Rooms” with an arrow pointing left. With long, quick strides Fell began to run towards the direction of the labs.

 

“Red! RED!” Fell tried a few lab rooms only to find them empty. Some rooms were inaccessible as the doors were locked shut. He could only hope none of those rooms were the lab he was looking for.

 

As Fell continued down the hall, reaching closer towards the end, the tall skeleton began to cough as the thicker smoke made yelling out that much more difficult. “RED!”

 

__________________

 

Red’s head throbbed as a loud ringing continued to muffle out any other sounds in the burning room. His chest heaved as he wheezed in short, unfulfilling breaths. The air was dark and thick; The fire quickly spreading through the empty lab room. Stars, what the fuck had happened? Red struggled to focus on his surroundings, thinking that his vision was blurred. After a few attempts to move, Red quickly discovered that his vision wasn’t blurred, he just had something heavy and black on top of him. Red felt sweat drip down his skull. His was in full blown panic attack and the room was getting hotter. The small skeleton struggled to calm his racing mind in order to recall what had happened. If he knew what happened, what was going on, he could think of a way out of this mess.

 

Red remembered staying in the lab after lunch to catch up on some science class work. He recalled getting more coffee because he was tired. He placed the cup down before he could take a sip and rested his head on one of the tables. The small skeleton wracked his brain trying to remember more, but figured he must have fallen asleep. After being out for a while, he remembered hearing a loud bang and something heavy landing on him. Now here he was.

 

Okay, so there was an explosion. That much he could figure out. Red looked around the room and saw miss-matched tables strewn about as well as shattered glass from fallen beakers. Red realized the odd colored tables belonged to the class upstairs… _oh_. Red felt his soul begin to flutter and panic as he realized the second floor hand collapsed on him and one of the other class’s tables were now pinning him down to the floor.

 

Red tried to focus on his breathing in order to calm himself down long enough to escape. **_‘Okay, no big deal, just shove the table off and-‘_**

****

The sound of fire blazing louder sizzled overhead fallowed by a loud creaking noise.

 

**_‘That’s not good…’_ **

****

Soon after, the creaking got louder till there was a sudden crash and more weight was added to the table on top of Red. The small skeleton let out a yelp of pain as the sudden added pressure made his ribs creak, threatening to break under the weight. “Ahh! Fuck!”

 

Red reached up in a desperate attempt to push the table off him, but as soon as his bare hands touched the surface of the table, his bones sizzled with the heat. “Ow!” Red pulled his hands away quickly and inspected the charred marks that were already forming. He was lucky he was wearing the sweater uniform so early in the semester or else his ribs would be burning too.

 

With the added weight crushing his ribs along with the thick smoke in the air, Red found it more and more difficult to breathe. He desperately tried to call on his magic, but found he couldn’t focus enough to form a bone, none the less a blaster. All his energy went to filling his nonexistent lungs with carbon monoxide. Red struggled to think of another way out. He didn’t have the strength to move the table and he couldn’t rely on his magic. Teleporting with the table on him would only teleport him somewhere else with the weight still crushing him. And he didn’t want to risk teleporting to a lower level only to have the table drop and crush his bones for good. The small skeleton wheezed as he tried to give his mind enough oxygen to work. Stars where was Sans or Rus… Wait! With a shaky hand red reached into his pocket to pull out his phone. He’d call his friends. They could blast what the table off him and teleport him out. With some struggle, Red was able to move his arm enough to reach into his pocket. Although, the second his burned phalanges gripped the device, pain shot through his hand and up his arm, causing him to drop his phone on the floor next to him. “Fuck… no…” Red panted, his breathing labored.

 

He desperately reached out, his bony finger tapping blindly at the screen, unable to hold or look at the phone.  

  

___________________________

 

Fell made his way to the last lab room as he kicked open the doors. He quickly scanned around the lab only to see more fire and a gaping hole in the ceiling where tables from the upper class had fallen through. Fell felt his soul sink with disappointment and worry. He had gone through all the labs and still hadn’t found Red. The words of the students rang though his head as he recalled them finding two monster’s dust already. He tried not to think that one of those could be Red. The tall skeleton ground his teeth together in frustration as he called out his pet’s name one last time. “RED!” Fell immediately leaned over as a coughing fit took over him. The smoke was starting to get to him. 

 

Red froze hearing his name.

 

That sounded like…

 

“Fell!” Red weakly called out as he struggled against the table with renewed strength. His sockets began to water as his soul swelled with hope. He tried again to push the table off him, only to burn his hands further. The small skeleton cried out pain and retracted his bony appendages.  

 

In between coughs Fell heard his name. He quickly looked up, re-scanning the smoke and flame covered room. His soul was pounding in his rib cage so loudly that he could hear it over the crackle of the fire. “RED?” He called again.

 

Just then Fell saw a table in the center of the room move ever so slightly. There were piles of debris weighing the table down along with a heavy wooden beam that he was sure was part of the support structure for the second story. Fell’s sockets widened as he saw the fire creep towards the small opening under the table.

 

Red was there, he was sure of it. His pet was alive, but in danger. And he needed him.

 

Fell’s magic flared up around him as he made his way close towards the table. “Hold on Red, stay still!” Fell raised his hand and conjured a powerful wave of bones that shot forth. The bones pierced the debris, the sheer force behind the attack knocking off the wood beam. With a path now cleared for him, Fell moved towards the table and grabbed its edges. The heat from the burnt table burned the taller skeleton’s hands, but Fell ignored the pain as he lifted the heavy table up, then throwing it to the other side of the room.

 

Fell looked down and instant relief washed over him. Below him Red began to cough and gasp for air now that the table was no longer crushing him. The small skeleton looked up at Fell with bleary eye lights and tears streaking down his cheek bones.

 

Red was alive. He was okay. 

 

“Fell…” Red’s whole body shook, both from the shock of the fire and seeing Fell.

 

Fell didn’t waste any more time. He quickly leaned down and picked the small skeleton up in his arms, his hold tightening protectively around Red’s trembling frame. Red immediately clung to Fell as he buried his skull in the others shoulder. All Red could smell was smoke and heat, but if he focused hard enough, he could pin point the distinct smell of lasagna on Fell’s leather jacket. The familiar scent comforted him as he tried to calm his shaking, knowing his anxiety would not do them any good in this situation.

 

Fell took a brief moment to catch his breath. His pet was safe in his arms. He could relax now. The tall skeleton focused on Red’s frantically beating soul, the frightened fluttering reminding him that his pet was not dust. He had made it in time, his instincts guided him in the right direction once again.

 

Before Fell could carry his pet to safety, there was another loud creaking noise.

 

Fell’s frame stilled as he realized just a second too late what the sound was.

  

A ball of flame shot out from the open hole in the ceiling as more of the second story broke way and began to rain down on the two skeletons.

 

Fell didn’t have time to react other than to kneel down and shield Red with his body. The tall skeleton shut his eyes, bracing himself for the impact.

 

In the same second there was a sense of heavy energy compiled above his head. The tall skeleton looked up just in time to see a demonic dogs head with sharp teeth open its maw. Intense magical energy crackled around the inside of the dog skull’s mouth just before a beam of Red magic shot out, vaporizing the debris before it could fall on the two.

  

Fell stared in awe at the sheer power of the attack. Never had he seen anything like it.

 

Slowly, the taller skeleton stiffened his posture as realization came dawning on him. Fell recognized that magical signature. He turned his head and saw Red’s eye slowly fizzle down to its normal crimson glow as the small skeleton began to pant heavily. Pride swelled in Fell’s chest as he smiled down at Red. His pet truly was something else.

 

“Thank you.” Fell clanked a chaste kiss to the top of Red’s skull before standing up straight. The small skeleton’s mouth stretched into a tiny smile as Red’s eyes fluttered closed, his wheezing getting worse with each breath.

 

The tall skeleton readjusted his grip around his student as he quickly made a dash back towards the exit. Fell made quick work to blast any objected that blocked his path, his bone attacks shooting with fierce precision.

 

With one final bone attack, Fell shot open the doors to the science building and ran out into the open air of the cool night.

 

Fire workers ran to Fell and Red and quickly covered the two in heavy blankets before they were escorted over to the medical tent. Paramedics tried to pry Red from Fell’s grip to inspect the hurt student, but with one harsh glare from the taller skeleton, the workers decided to let Fell hold Red while they worked.

 

Fell sat in on of the cots in the medical tent with Red still firmly in his hold. The skeleton watched his pet take easier, deeper breaths as an oxygen mask was placed over his skull. A mask was placed over Fell’s skull as well, but the professor made no comment. His eyes stayed focused on his pet. Even though Fell could hear the medical professionals ask to see his burnt hands, the skeleton made no move to let go of Red. Fell drowned out the rest of the world as he kept his focus on the smaller skeleton in his lap.

 

He had come so close to losing Red yet again. Sheer luck allowed Fell to overhear those students talk about the fire. Had he not listened to them, he would have never known about the science building. He would have never gone to search for Red. No one would have reached Red in time. And his pet would have…

 

Fell felt his phalanges grip the small skeleton tighter as new, uncomfortable emotions raged through his head. If he was logical and honest with himself, this whole situation was his fault. Red wouldn’t have even been in the science building at this late hour had Fell just ignored Blue’s request and talked to the student. Red would be at his home right now, tucked into bed, or on the couch with him as he read a book. None of this was supposed to have happened.

 

Slowly, medical workers were able to pry the professor’s hands off of Red as they began to bandage his wounds. Fell’s gaze continued to focus on Red’s unconscious face, his eye’s trailing down to the shimmer of the collar still clipped around the smaller skeleton’s neck.

 

Red was still wearing the collar.

 

Red hadn’t given up on Fell this whole time.

 

The thought made Fell feel just a little bit better, along with an unknown emotion that made his soul swell.

 

_______________________________

 

There was a small ding as warm bread popped up out of the toaster. Blue quickly moved towards the bread, grabbing the toast as it popped up and placed the slices on two separate plates. The small skeleton made sure not to clank any dishes as he got breakfast ready. Eggs, ham, and toast; It was a nice meal to start the day. As Blue served up the eggs on the plates, he glanced over to his open bedroom where he could see Rus still sleeping on his bed. Blue had awoken early like he always did, his headache and any pains from the previous night long gone. Blue wanted to thank Rus for saving him and possibly have the dreaded conversation he had been putting off for weeks, but he wasn’t sure how to go about initiating the subject. So he did the only thing he could think of, cook. Maybe once Blue had set a calm setting between the two with a nice meal the talking would come naturally.

 

Also, he really didn’t want Rus to keep doting on him. Blue grimaced at the leftover ingredients Rus used to make soup last night. He hadn’t realized what a Frankenstein recipe the dish was. Blue was touched by the thoughtful gesture, but he figured it was best no one have Rus’ cooking… ever again.

 

Once Blue hand finished dishing all the portions onto each plate he turned to the dirty pans and set them in the sink. He then rolled up the sleeves to the hoodie as he turned on the water and began to scrub and clean. Blue started to hum quietly as he worked on the task at hand. It was nice to get back into a routine. The small skeleton smiled with satisfaction as he finished scrubbing the few dirty dishes he hand, setting them up to dry on a rack.

 

As soon as Blue was done drying his hands, he turned and froze seeing Rus standing at the edge of the kitchen.

 

“Oh! Good morning!” Blue felt his cheek bones dusting a soft cyan at the sight of his student before him.

 

He hadn’t realized it last night, but without his hoodie Blue could see a lot of the other skeleton’s bones. The loose black tank top Rus wore didn’t do much to cover him up. Blue could easily see Rus’ clavicle and the top of his sternum. The holes of the sides of the tank top were low, giving an enticing show to most of Rus’ ribs. Blue realized right then just how lean the other skeleton was. The hoodie made the taller skeleton look much fuller than he actually was.

 

“Morning.” Rus answered, still sounding groggy.

 

Blue’s mind blanked for a second before he remembered his plan and the food. “I made us some breakfast!” The small skeleton grabbed a plate and offered it to Rus.

 

Rus stared at the plate then at Blue, his face morphing into confusion and concern. Blue had just gone through a terrible experience last night, yet he was up and about making food and talking like his normal self. After a moment of contemplation Rus took the plate from Blue’s hand muttering a small thank you under his breath.

 

This was all so strange. Why was Blue acting so casual with him? Hadn’t Blue told him off yet? And last night… He had come so late when trying to rescue Blue. He was sure the smaller skeleton would be mad at him for still being in his house. He was certain Blue didn’t want anything to do with him anymore.

 

Blue noticed the strange look on Rus’ face but decided not to say anything. The two then sat down at the table and began to eat in awkward silence. Well, so much for conversation coming natural with a good meal. Blue couldn’t help but pout as he ate his food. How was he supposed to bring the subject up? **_‘Oh by the way I yelled at you earlier because I actually like you. Can we pretend it never happened?’_** Blue grumbled to himself, displeased with every idea that came to mind.

 

“I’m sorry…”

 

Blue looked up, shocked to hear Rus apologizing. “What?”

 

“I’m sorry, Blue… For everything. For reaching you so late when those human took you… For still being here. I know you probably just want me gone, you’re just too nice to say anything.” Rus lowered his fork and stared down at the half eaten meal on his plate, his face scrunched with guilt and pain.

 

“Wha- Stars Rus! You got it all wrong!” Blue leaned over the table. He wanted to just run up and hug Rus right then and there. He couldn’t stand seeing the other skeleton looking so hurt.

 

“What?” Rus looked up, completely confused by Blue’s response. He was sure the smaller skeleton would just confirm his thoughts and probably tell him to leave again. This on the other hand was not what he expected to hear.

    

Blue sighed and rubbed his arm nervously as he stared anywhere other than Rus’ direction. “Listen… I’m the one who should apologize to you. When I yelled at you those weeks ago I… I didn’t mean it. I was confused and angry and I took my emotions out on you. And that wasn’t okay. I’m so sorry…”

 

“What are you talking about?” Rus tilted his head to the side. None of what Blue was saying made sense. Why was he confused and angry? Was it something he had done?

 

Blue felt his hands begin to shake. Actually confronting Rus was more difficult than he imagined. He took a deep breath as Red’s words echoed through his skull, fueling him with courage. Blue finally mustered up the strength to look up and stare Rus in the eyes. “I was jealous. I was jealous of Red for being close with my friend. And for being close with you… I thought he was going to take up all your time and you would forget about me. Also… I thought you two had a thing together. And I got angry about it…” Blue saw the look of shock and confusion slip onto Rus’ face. Yeah, he figured Rus would react that way, now that Blue knew Rus and Red in fact did not have a thing together and that they were indeed just friends. Blue took another deep breath as he continued. “I didn’t understand why I was jealous at first… but then I realized… It was because I… I like you.” Blue’s skull began to glow at the confession. Stars why was his soul racing so fast?

 

The taller skeleton sat at the other end of the table with the same look of confusion on his face. It took Rus a while until his sockets widened and realization set in. “Blue…?”

 

“I told you that we weren’t friends because I felt like I was using you. I like you, and I wanted to spend time with you. I was jealous of your friends. I wanted you to myself. I was being selfish. Just like you said all people are. I was supposed to be a friend and make your world less dark and here I was being selfish and using you for my own wants.” Blue looked down as shame overcame him. It was one thing to talk his feelings over with Fell, it was another to say it out loud, to Rus’ face no less.

 

“So… you like me, but the thought of liking me scares you? And so now we can’t be friends because of it? Because liking me somehow makes you a selfish person?”

 

Blue felt his face flush bright cyan at Rus’ words. It all sounded incredibly petty once it was said out loud. Boy he really messed up big time on this.

 

“Well… No. I mean… I’ve had a while to think about it. And… I realized I don’t want to lose you, Rus! I know I’ve been a terrible friend! And I know you don’t date or do relationships! But I really, REALLY like you, and I want to be with you! I don’t care in what way that is as long as I can stay by your side!”

 

Rus flinched, but otherwise stayed completely silent as Blue continued on.

 

The damn broke and Blue couldn’t stop himself from spewing out all the feelings he kept pent up over his laid back student. “I miss spending time with you! I miss your jokes! I miss your sarcastic comments! I miss having tacos with you while you work in the lab with your friends! I miss having movie nights with you as you commentate over the silly parts! I miss hugging you! I miss falling asleep on the couch with you!” Blue’s body shook as he couldn’t control the sobs escaping with each declaration. He covered his face with his hands in his attempts to hide his tears.

 

After a while of crying, Blue was able to calm his shaking bones, his sobs dissolved to small sniffles. It took a while for Blue to realize Rus still had not moved nor spoke since his confession. The small skeleton felt his soul clench painfully in his chest. He looked up and saw Rus staring at the ground, his frame stiff.

 

Pain ebbed away at Blue’s chest at the silent rejection from Rus.

 

What did he expect? He had hurt Rus. Deeply hurt him. How did Blue expect the other skeleton to just forgive him so easily? A few heartfelt apologies weren’t going to make up for the weeks of pain he put Rus through. 

       

It was obvious Blue had waited too long to make amends.

 

The damage was done.

 

Rus didn’t want anything to do with him. That much was obvious.

 

“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have… I thought that maybe…” Blue sighed and wiped the tears from his sockets. “I thought that maybe we could go back to the way things were… I understand if you don’t forgive me.”

 

There was more silence as Rus continued to stare at the ground, the light above the table shining down and shadowing Rus’ downward skull.

 

Blue felt his chest and throat tighten at the pain. The rejection hurt more than anything he had ever felt.

 

He just wanted everything to go back to normal. Before he royally screwed up. He just wanted to be with Rus. Even if it wasn’t romantically. Any kind of friendship was better than not seeing the skeleton at all.

 

But Rus’ silence spoke a thousand words. The taller skeleton didn’t forgive him. Probably never would.

 

Blue felt his whole body begin to tremble.

 

He couldn’t be here right now. He had to leave. “I’m sorry. I’ll go now.”

 

As soon as Blue stood from his seat and turned towards the door, he heard the squeaking of wood scraping against the floor.

 

“No, don’t!”

 

Suddenly Blue felt long arms wrap around him from behind, Rus leaning his head on the back of Blue’s vertebrae. The small skeleton froze, his soul beating rapidly in his chest. The little heart shape object humming with warmth and joy at how close Rus was, the taller skeleton’s own soul radiating weakly in his rib cage pressed against Blue’s back.

 

“I forgive you… Just… please…?”

 

Blue could feel the strain in Rus’ voice, his pain seeping through his normally guarded exterior. The wave of guilt that flooded the smaller skeleton was intense and unpleasant to say the least. Blue could feel Rus’ arms shaking ever so slightly as they tightened around him. His little gasps of breath indicating he was holding back tears. Blue could feel his soul aching in his chest, crying to reach out to Rus’ but was met with a wave of fear and uncertainty. Rus didn’t need to finish his words. Blue could hear it plain as day.

 

No, don’t leave me again…

 

Just… Please stay…

 

Blue’s own arms came up and wrapped around Rus’. He shut his sockets tight but it wasn’t enough to stop the tears from slipping past.

 

“You don’t know how long I’ve been wanting to hear you say that. Dreaming about it. Fantasizing that maybe we could be more than friends…”

 

Blue gasped softly.

 

So Rus did want him, just like Red said.

 

“I was content with just being friends, as long as it meant you’d stay in my life.” Rus paused for a while and Blue could tell the other skeleton was struggling to say his next words. “I never thought I could need someone as much as I needed you…”

 

Blue felt like turning around and clinging to the other skeleton right then and there. Rus needed Blue, the same way Blue needed Rus.

 

“But… Then you told me you couldn’t stand seeing me…”

 

Blue felt his soul sink. He regretted those words the second they came out. If he could go back in time and take away everything, redo all of it, he would!

 

“So now I don’t know if you’re really back or not…”

 

Blue frowned. Everything all made sense now.

 

Why Rus was so adamant on not having any romantic companionship. Why he viewed the world as dark and selfish. He had been hurt before… just like this.

 

He had been hurt time and time again, opening up to people only to have them steal little pieces of him before they walked away and abandoned him. They hurt Rus, just like Blue had. So Rus did the only thing he could do to protect himself, he made a wall. He made a wall so high that its shadow alone would shroud Rus in a protective darkness, making sure he’d never see the outside world again. So he wasn’t tempted to try again.

 

Then Blue came along. Without even realizing it, he had done the impossible, he had climbed that tall wall. And slowly, Blue began to chip away at the wall, crumpling it more and more. The light of the outside world was beginning to pour through, and Rus was reaching for it. For the first time in a long while.

 

Then suddenly, Blue stopped. He stopped chipping away at the wall, he stopped reaching for Rus. He just stopped. And he left.

 

Now Blue was back.

 

He was back and that wall had been shattered. But now Rus sits behind the rubble, unable to move, afraid now that he has nothing to protect him.

 

Blue knew this was his fault.

 

He chipped away at that wall and when it came crumbling down he was nowhere to be found. Rus had opened up only to be hurt yet again.

 

Blue smiled weakly as he willed his soul to warm and comfort Rus’. He could feel Rus’ soul shaking and barely pulsing back, as if it wanted to respond, but was too afraid to.

 

He decided. He would make it up to Rus. He would do things right this time. He would join Rus on the other side of that rubble and sit patiently with him until he was ready to move. He would wait as long as it took. And honestly it didn’t matter, because this time…

 

He wasn’t going anywhere.

 

____________________________________________

 

Red slowly opened his sockets, the sound of incessant beeping keeping him from sleeping any longer. He knew the beeping wasn’t too loud, he was just a light sleeper. Any noise usually woke him. As soon as Red opened his sockets, he regretted it; Blinding white covered the walls and sheets of the room. The bed he was laying in was positioned next to a window, its blinds pulled back to let in the morning light. The small skeleton raised a bony hand to his sockets to block out the light, the brightness making his skull throb painfully. Stars his head hurt. And his throat! Red quickly moved his hand from his sockets to grip at his neck. It felt like he swallowed sandpaper. His fingers kneaded at his vertebra hoping somehow he could cure the pain with a massage; sadly it only made a small difference.

 

Man was he thirsty! Red continued to rub his neck until sudden realization shook him to his core. His sockets widened as his bony digits spread over his vertebrae’s frantically.

 

His collar. His collar was missing.  

 

Red’s breathing began to speed up as he looked around the unfamiliar sterile room. White. Nothing but white filled the room. His red collar was nowhere to be seen. With deft movements, Red flung the sheets off him and sat up to get a better view of his surroundings.

 

A small metallic glimmer caught Red’s eye, there! Across the room on a table was a bag. It had all of Red’s clothing, and his collar. Red let out a sigh of relief as soon as he spotted the familiar accessory.

 

After his little panic attack subsided, the small skeleton finally relaxed long enough to notice where he was. He looked down at the hospital gown he was wearing, his eye lights trailing to the needle in his arm pumping red magic into his marrow. The soft beeping caught his attention once more and Red looked up to the soul monitor above his head. So that’s what that annoying beeping was. Red then followed the wire connected to the monitor and saw that it went into his gown. The small skeleton lifted the clothing up to see a small sticker attached to his soul that was floating lazily inside his chest. With a quick tug, Red removed the sticker causing the monitor to flat line, emitting a sickly beep.

  

Red let out a heavy sigh as he readjusted his gown while swinging his legs over the side of the bed. The small skeleton took a moment to gather his strength before jumping down and standing on unsteady legs. Red then grabbed onto the IV stand for support as he wobbled a little, trying to regain his balance. After a few moments Red felt confident enough to move. Dragging the IV stand with him to use as a walking stick, Red made his way over to the bag on the other side of the room.

 

As Red pulled out his collar from the bag, he noticed how most of his clothes had dirt and burn marks on them. The sight made him nervous. What had happened after Fell came to the room? He recalled using the last of his energy to blast away some falling debris, but after that he couldn’t remember.

 

Wait! Fell!

 

Just then the door to the room opened and Fell walked in, a book in one arm and a coffee in the other. The tall skeleton’s sockets widened upon seeing Red standing across the room.

 

Instant relief flooded Red’s soul. The small skeleton couldn’t help but smile as soon as his eye lights landed on Fell.

 

“You’re up.” Fell closed the door behind him before making his way to Red’s side. Fell set his book and coffee down on the table next to Red’s bag as he looked the smaller skeleton over with an unreadable expression. After a while of staring Fell finally turned and looked across the room, almost as if making a point not to look the other skeleton in the face.

 

Red felt his nerves kick in at Fell’s cold demeanor, soul sinking deep in his chest.

 

So, it was still like this. Fell was still being distant with him.

 

Red’s hands clenched at his sides, the spikes of his collar poking into his bone. He thought maybe when Fell came to rescue him that would have been the end of things. No more silent treatment, no more going out of his way to avoid him, no more feeling like Fell hated him…

 

Red recalled the conversation with Blue the previous day. Maybe Blue talked with Rus and they worked things out. Or maybe Blue decided to stay with Fell… Red couldn’t stop his metacarpus from shaking as memories of Fell and Blue holding hands flashed in his head. His soul ached. Why did this all happen? Why couldn’t Fell just tell him off? Why did he visit him in the hospital? Why did he even fucking save him from the fire in the first place! It was obvious Fell didn’t like having him around.

 

Red bit his tongue, forcing his emotions down that were threatening to spill over. His hands clenched tighter, the spikes digging into his metacarpals painfully.

 

The collar…

 

Why did Fell give him this? His professor obviously doesn’t want him. Red’s frame began to shake as he tried to hold back a sob threatening to escape, his throat and chest tightening painfully. He knew he was worthless. He knew he was pathetic. Why did he ever think even for a second that anyone would want him? To think that Fell wanted him. All he ever did was cause problems. For crying out loud he almost got Fell killed last night because he was too weak to save himself!

 

No wonder Fell chose Blue over him.

 

There was a small sting of pain in Red’s hand. He looked down and saw the spikes of the collar poking at his bandaged hand, red marrow starting to seep through the gauze.

 

His collar…

 

No.

 

Fell didn’t mean to give him the collar. He was only here out of kindness. It was obvious Fell didn’t want to be around Red. And it was obvious Fell had changed his mind about wanting Red as his pet. The small skeleton’s eye lights dimmed as he focused on the red leather collar.

 

He should give Fell an out.

 

Slowly, Red lifted the collar up to Fell, finally catching the taller skeleton’s attention.

 

Fell looked at the collar then at Red with confusion.

 

“H-here… I’m giving it b-back…” Red’s voice was raspy and shaky, sounding like it was ready to break.

 

Fell flinched, taken back by the gesture. He didn’t understand. Red wore that collar all these weeks. He hadn’t given up on Fell. He stayed loyal through the whole ordeal. Did this mean he was giving up now…?

 

“Take it… I know g-giving it to me was a m-mistake… I c-can tell you don’t w-want me around…” Red’s hand shook as he held out the collar. There was a huge part of him that wanted Fell to reject the collar, to tell him that he wanted Red to keep it. He wanted Fell to tell him he was wrong, that he wanted Red as his pet.

 

There was a long silence between the two as Fell stared at the collar.  

  

After a while of waiting, Red thought that maybe his wishes had come true. That is, until Fell grabbed the collar from Red’s hand.

 

Red felt his soul drop immediately, his phalanges flexing to grip at the cloth that was no longer there. Only when his vision became blurry did Red realize that tears were brimming at the corners of his sockets. Even though he knew this was a long time coming, it still hurt. Stars did it hurt. Red’s throat burned worse as he swallowed down a sob that continued to build.

 

This was it. This was the end.

 

Fell could move on now and find a better pet, someone more worthy of his time.

 

The thought of Fell holding another monster in his arms, Blue or otherwise, was enough to break his will. Red finally let go of the emotions he was holding back as he let out a choked sob, tears streaming relentlessly down his face.

 

“You fucking moron.”

 

Red flinched at Fell’s harsh words as he tried to curl into himself, but was stopped as his face was grabbed by two large bony hands.

 

Fell forced Red to look up at him just before he leaned down and crushed his mouth against Red’s in a deep, desperate kiss. Fell felt Red stumble and he immediately wrapped one arm around the smaller skeleton, holding him tight against his frame. In no time at all, Fell conjured his tongue and pushed passed Red’s sharp teeth, the long red appendage moving to mesh with Red’s.

 

Red couldn’t stop the small moan from escaping into the kiss as he grabbed onto Fell’s shoulders. He held onto the taller skeleton for dear life as he allowed the other to dominate his mouth. Red’s bones trembled with pleasure upon tasting Fell’s familiar spicy magic and the comforting feeling of his possessive hold.

 

Once Fell finally broke the kiss, the two skeletons stayed still as they panted softly, both their cheeks dusted softly with the color of their magic.

 

“Fell… What-“

 

“How the hell did you ever come up with a stupid conclusion like that?!” Fell’s voice was harsh, but laced with a hint of concern that Red was able to pick up on. “What did I tell you when I gave you this collar?” Fell held up the red leather collar to Red’s face for emphasis.

 

“That… I w-was yours…” Red stammered out, his cheeks glowing brighter at the memory.

 

“That’s right. You’re mine. You understand? Making you mine was no mistake. I didn’t chose you on a whim. I wanted you and only you!”

 

Red flinched and his sockets widened.

 

He was wanted. Fell wanted him.

 

The tall skeleton sighed as he straightened his posture, holding the collar up to examine it. “My friend was having relationship troubles with one of your friends. There were rumors going around that you and another student were fooling around. My friend asked that I not speak to you about the rumors until he spoke to your friend first. I realize now that was a mistake. It must have seemed that I was disinterested in you…”

 

Red stayed silent for a while until everything Fell said sunk in. The small skeleton looked down and blushed as he realized all the misunderstandings. “Blue thought Rus and I were screwing? Shit… so that’s what they were fighting about…”

 

Fell stared at Red in shock. “You knew about all this?”

 

“Well not exactly. I knew Rus and Blue were fighting. I didn’t know what it was about though. And honestly I don’t think Rus knew either. He would have cleared things up with Blue if that were the case.” Red looked up at Fell and saw the shocked yet quizzical look he was giving. The petite skeleton sighed and decided it was best to elaborate. Better get all the misunderstandings cleared up now before more shit hits the fan. “I mean I can see why there would be rumors. Rus kinda made a name for himself before he met Blue… and Sans, Rus, and I all know the whole science department thinks we’re fucking. They’re all a bunch of gossip freaks. But we’re not! We’re just best friends. Sans has Papyrus, Rus is obviously head over heels for Blue, and I-“Red cut himself off before he could finish that sentence. He looked up at Fell and noticed the taller skeleton raising a brow ridge curiously at him. Red’s face began to glow uncontrollably. “Uh... anyway, yeah. The rumors aren’t true…” Red began to fidget with his hospital gown nervously in an attempt to avoid Fell’s questioning gaze.

 

“So you and Rus weren’t having sex in the storage closet a few weeks ago?” Fell’s voice was less harsh and more curious at this point.

 

“What?! No!” Red shook his head frantically at the idea of him and one of his best friends causally fucking in a storage closet. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

 

Fell coughed uncomfortably and crossed his arms, a nervous drop of sweat forming on his skull. He felt ridiculous for ever even considering listening to that lizard monster. “No reason.” He lied through his teeth. No way in hell was he going to admit he listened to some cracked out science professor.

 

“Wait a minute… Storage closet a few weeks ago… That was when Rus healed my wounds from my roommate. You already asked who’s magic was on me back then. I told you what happened.” Red looked up at Fell, a frown stretching on his teeth. Did Fell not believe him?

 

Fell blanched at Red’s words. Fuck, everything all made sense now. That fucking professor didn’t see Red and Rus having sex, she saw Rus healing Red’s wounds! The tall skeleton began to growl under his breath, his hands clenching into tight fists. This whole ordeal had been for nothing. All caused by misunderstandings and an unwillingness to communicate. He was going to murder Dr. Alphys and Blue…

 

Fell sighed again as he looked down at Red’s worried expression. He had put his pet through hell and back over nothing. He needed to make it up to Red. Fell leaned down and quickly picked up the smaller skeleton into his arms. Fell was careful of Red’s IV stand as he carried his pet back over to the bed. With gentle movements, Fell sat down in the hospital bed and placed Red in his lap.

 

Red didn’t struggle or say anything. Honestly he was just happy to be in Fell’s arms again. The small skeleton smiled softly as he leaned forward, resting his head on Fell’s sternum.  

 

Slowly, Fell reached up and wrapped his hand around Red’s neck. His phalanges ran across each grove of the other skeleton’s vertebra, alighting small shivers to run up Red’s spine. Gently, he pushed Red back till the smaller skeleton was staring up at him, his crimson eye lights shimmering softly.

 

Fell leaned down till their skulls gently bonked together. He could hear the little catch in Red’s throat, the sound making him smile victoriously. “Red, I am sorry I did not just come to you first. You are a good, loyal pet. I should have known you would never betray me.”

 

Red felt his cheeks dusting a bright crimson. Fell was so close he could feel the heat of the other’s breath. All Red could do in his shocked state was nod his head ever so slightly.

 

“But I need to know…” Fell’s hand began to rub Red’s sensitive neck, the pressure and soft caresses sending sparks of pleasure across the smaller skeleton’s bones. Red let out a small sigh as Fell began to rub his neck harder. How he missed the feeling of the other skeleton’s hands on his bones. “Do you still wish to be my pet?”

 

Red looked up and met Fell’s intense gaze, his fierce blood colored eyes sending his soul a flutter. Carefully, he reached out towards Fell’s other hand that held the red leather collar as he grabbed onto the accessory. Slowly Red lifted the collar up and held it towards Fell.

 

“Yes master.”

 

__________________________________

 

Papyrus was quick to make his way across campus, his clothes a little disheveled from being thrown on in haste. The tall jock skeleton slipped on his letterman jacket as he balanced his book bag and gym bag all on the same arm. The coaches had asked Papyrus to come in for a special tryout session. He didn’t understand exactly what they were making him test out for. All the plays he performed in front of the coaches were plays he had already been making. He saw along the sidelines that the coaches kept mumbling to one another and writing things down on a clip board. It seemed a little odd to him that he was the only one trying out for this mystery roll. Either way, the impromptu practice had made Papyrus miss several of his classes, including his culinary class. To say Papyrus was a little disappointed was an understatement. Today the class was supposed to learn how to cook spaghetti. He was looking forward to cooking his favorite dish with Sans.

 

Papyrus pulled out his phone and checked to see the time. It was just after their last class. With a little skill and maneuvering, Papyrus was able to move his bags to his shoulder as he texted Sans.

 

4:03pm  
Papyrus: I’m back from practice. Did you already go home?

 

4:04pm  
Sans: No, I went to the psychology building to pick up Rus. Wanted to see how he was. First day back to Blue’s class and all.

 

4:05pm  
Papyrus: Did he ever say what happened between them?

 

4:06pm  
Sans: Nope. But as long as he’s happy, I don’t think we need to bug him about it.

 

4:07pm  
Papyrus: That’s true. Hey, have you heard from Red?

 

4:08:pm  
Sans: Yup. Been making him check in with us every few hours. He’s a little upset about it, but hey, not taking any chances. Especially after the fire on Friday.

 

4:09pm  
Papyrus: I’m just glad he’s okay.  
Papyrus: I’ll meet you over to the psychology building.

 

4:10pm  
Sans: See you in a few, Babe ;)

 

Papyrus felt his cheek bones glow at the text before he shoved his phone back in his pocket. After a few more steps, the taller skeleton paused as he noticed something missing. He had almost forgot to completely redress after practice. Stepping aside to a bench, Papyrus quickly looked through his gym bag till he came across his favorite accessory. He pulled out his red scarf and draped the cloth over his neck. Right as he was about to wrap the scarf around he saw a fellow teammate running up to him from the corner of his eye.

 

“Yo Papyrus! Long time no see!”

 

Papyrus smiled as he recognized the dragon monster as Rick, one of his fellow freshman teammates. The freshman athletes were much more friendly than the senior players. Papyrus actually missed hanging out with them. He had somewhat ditched the other teammates in culinary in order to be Sans partner. Papyrus recalled switching tables on the first day after locking eyes with Sans. Although he was sure the others didn’t mind his absence. They were more interested in joking around and having fun than seriously learning any cooking skills.

 

“HELLO RICK! LONG TIME NO SEE INDEED!” Papyrus greeted his old friend with a one arm half hug that turned into a handshake/fist bump.

 

“Hey I’m glad I ran into you! I have some sick news!” Rick looked so excited it seemed like he was ready to burst at any moment.

 

“WHAT IS IT?”

 

“We got invited to a Halloween party! The famous Halloween party hosted by the senior players. Their parties are legendary!”

 

“WE DID? THAT’S WONDERFUL!” Papyrus beamed. It seemed as though opportunities to make new friends were popping up all over the place now.

 

“Yeah it is! Doggo himself told me to specifically invite you!”

 

Papyrus’s good mood immediately vanished. That’s right, of course Doggo would be the one to host the senior player Halloween party. He was the star senior player after all. What struck Papyrus as odd was why he went through so much trouble to specifically invite him to the party. “THAT’S… GREAT…” Papyrus wasn’t sure what else to say. He didn’t want to sound rude or ungrateful just in case word got back to the senior players.

 

“Yup! So hey, be sure to pick out a kick ass costume.” Rick adjusted his sunglasses and gave Papyrus the finger gun as he started to walk off. The dragon monster didn’t make it very far before he turned back around. “Oh and I almost forgot. Doggo said it’s a couples party, so bring your little nerd boy with you.”

 

Papyrus frowned at Rick’s choice of words for Sans.

 

The dragon monster quickly saw Papyrus’s discomfort with the message and immediately held up his hands defensively. “Yo, those were his words not mine. You know us freshies are cool with Sans.”

 

Papyrus smiled wearily as Rick waved goodbye before running off. 

 

The tall skeleton stood in the same spot for a while as he contemplated Doggo’s request to bring Sans. He was utterly confused. Before Doggo had said Sans was holding him back, but now he wanted him to hang around with the smaller skeleton, so much as to bring him to a jock party. None of it made sense.

 

Papyrus shook his head and decided he would dwell on the subject later.

 

Right now Sans was waiting for him.

 

______________________________________________

 

Sans bobbed his head to the beat of the music blasting through his blue headphones as he leaned against the wall of the psychology building. He knew that classes were over and that all the other students had left, but he wanted to give Rus and Blue a little privacy. He would wait for Rus to come out on his own. _If_ he came out that is. A small smirk spread across his face at the thought. Sans had no idea what happened over the weekend. All he knew was that Rus hadn’t returned home till late Saturday afternoon. When asked where he was, all Rus said was that he was with Blue. The smile on the taller skeletons face said everything else. Whatever Rus and Blue had been fighting over had been resolved. Sans was curious, but he wasn’t going to pry. All that mattered was his friend was happy once again.

 

Sans pulled out his phone as the current song started to fade out. He sent a quick text to Red asking if he was okay before opening his music app and tapping the shuffle button.

 

Everyone had been worried about the other small skeleton when they heard of the fire in the science building. It wasn’t until late Saturday evening did they get a text from Red’s new number. He had confirmed their worries that he was indeed one of the students in the building during the fire, but he also assured them that he was okay. Sans and Rus wanted Red to come sleep over so they could keep watch on him and any wounds he may have gotten, but the small red skeleton calmly refused saying he was staying with Fell. Sans had no idea who Fell was, but Rus seemed to be okay with the answer. Sans decided if Rus of all people was okay with Red staying with Fell, then he would be okay with it too. Although he made note to talk to Red later and discuss who this person was. Sans knew he wasn’t as protective as Rus, but he still wanted to make sure his friend was safe.

 

Sans smiled as he heard the beats of the new song begging to play through his headphones. The soft, familiar melody set a calm energy through the air, relaxing the small skeleton. Sans couldn’t help but smile fondly at the song. He wasn’t much for sappy music, but lately he couldn’t help but feel a little connection with the lyrics. How could he not? Lately his life had made a drastic turn for the better. Had anyone told his old self from a year ago that he would be so incredibly happy in the future; he would have laughed at them. But now… he had one person in particular to thank for his new lease on life.

 

As if on cue, Sans looked up in time to see Papyrus running towards him. The tall skeleton beaming brightly as soon as his eyes locked onto the smaller skeleton leaning against the wall. Sans couldn’t stop his smile from spreading wider as his soul warmed to the sight. Papyrus really was something else, and he was incredibly grateful that he had met the jock skeleton that first day of class.

 

[Settle down with me  
Cover me up  
Cuddle me in]

 

“SORRY I’M LATE SANS!” Papyrus huffed a bit, catching his breath once he came to a stop in front of the smaller skeleton.

 

“It’s no problem.” Sans smiled as he watched Papyrus fix the lose scarf around his neck, his cheeks dusted a soft orange from running the whole way there.

 

It took a while for Papyrus to notice Sans staring at him, the smaller skeletons gaze setting his soul alight with nerves. Once again Papyrus was thinking back to what Doggo said, how Sans was holding him back from popularity and friends. The taller skeleton couldn’t stop his face from frowning at the thought. Through his whole time at MSU, he could say without a doubt, that meeting Sans was the best thing to happen to him. There was something about the smaller skeleton’s presence that made his soul calm. It made him happy. It made him feel whole. As if he had been missing something in his life until now.

 

[Lie down with me  
And hold me in your amrs]

 

“Paps, is something wrong?” Sans looked up at the other with concern. Papyrus looked like he was thinking about something unpleasant with that frown on his face. It worried him. Sans didn’t like when Papyrus frowned. Smiling suited the jock skeleton better.

 

Papyrus quickly shook Doggo’s voice out of his head as he gave a reassuring smile to the other skeleton. “Nothing is wrong. Everything is… perfect.”

 

[And your heart’s against my chest, your lips pressed to my neck  
I’m falling for your eyes, but they don’t know me yet  
And with a feeling I’ll forget, I’m in love now]

 

Sans was a little taken back by Papyrus’s sudden subdued tone. He would be lying if he said other skeleton voice didn’t make him tremble with excitement at least a little bit. “Papy-Mmph!”

 

[Kiss me like you wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved]

 

In no time at all, Papyrus leaned down and captured Sans mouth in a soft yet passionate kiss. Sans closed his sockets and melted into the kiss as he reached up and placed his hands on the taller skeleton’s sternum. Papyrus’s soul swelled at the contact, his magic radiating to the smaller skeleton. In the back of Sans mind he noticed the sparks of magic that danced across his phalanges the second Papyrus’s soul warmed up, his own soul warming to meet the other skeleton’s magic.

 

[This feels like falling in love  
Falling in love  
We’re falling in love]

 

Once the two parted, Sans felt a familiar soft cloth wrap around his neck. He opened his sockets and looked up to see Papyrus’s cheeks flushed with a huge smile on his face. The red scarf was wrapped around both of them, keeping their skulls close enough to feel each other’s breath.

 

Sans felt his own cheeks begin to glow as he stared up at the other skeleton. Papyrus’s presence setting his soul alight with happiness. Slowly, Sans tip-toed up to bonk their foreheads and nuzzle them affectionately.

 

Papyrus Nyeh’d wit happiness as he wrapped the smaller skeleton up into his arms, holding Sans close to him.

 

“Papyrus I lo-“  Sans cut himself off as he looked up at Papyrus’s patient smile. The smaller skeleton huffed at himself before reaching out and holding onto the other skeleton tightly. “Let’s go home.”

 

“BUT WHAT ABOUT RUS?”

 

“Heh, I have a feeling he’s got other plans.” While still holding each other closely, Sans teleported them home, vanishing from their spot with a little blip.  

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Blue sighed as the last student left the class. Today had been a long day. He had a hard time focusing on class when all he could think about was confessing his feelings to Rus over the weekend. He had poured his soul out to the other, but there were still so many unanswered questions. Did Rus want him in his life still? Did he want to stay just friends? What would happen to them now? Even after Blue found the courage to say everything he needed to say to the other skeleton, they still didn’t really talk things over. Rus ended up going home shortly after Blue’s breakdown, leaving him to wonder where he and the lazy student stood. The small skeleton moved to gather his belongings, his mind too far elsewhere to notice the footsteps approaching his desk.

 

“Hey.”

 

Blue looked up and jumped when his eyes landed on Rus standing before him.

 

“Oh hey! Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” Blue rubbed his arm nervously. How did he not notice Rus was in his class today? Normally he could spot the hoodie clad skeleton from a mile- _oh_. Blue finally took a moment to look Rus over. The taller skeleton was wearing a button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, the uniform tie hung loosely over several opened buttons at the top. He still wore his black jeans and converse, but Rus looked much more like a student without his signature orange hoodie.

 

[Settle down with me  
And I’ll be your safety  
You’ll be my lady]

 

“Sorry, didn’t recognize you without your hoodie…” That’s right, Rus had used his hoodie to cover him up when he rescued him from the humans.

 

“Heh, yeah been getting that a lot today.” Rus stuffed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Blue noticed it was probably a habit. He would see Rus stuff his hands in his hoodie all the time.

 

“That reminds me…”

 

Blue then turned to his bag at his desk and slowly pulled Rus’ orange hoodie out. He looked at the warm clothing as he ran his phalanges across the worn cloth, forcing the feeling and smell of the fabric to be stored to memory. With shaky hands, he reluctantly held the hoodie out to Rus, his soul pulsing painfully as if letting go of the only memory he had of Rus. “Here… um you forgot your sweater…” Blue couldn’t tear his eyes away from the large hoodie. If he looked at Rus then he would surely break down again.

 

[I was made to keep your body warm  
But I’m cold as the wind blows so hold me in your arms]

 

Rus was quiet, the tall skeleton didn’t move to grab the hoodie.

 

Blue waited with baited breath, his soul preparing for the pain of what Rus might have to say.

 

Would they be friends, would Rus leave his life for good?

 

**. . .**

 

“Keep it.”

 

Blue gasped and looked up at Rus with wide eyes. “What? I-I can’t. I was such a horrible friend to you-“

 

“You’re not my friend.” Rus simply stated.

 

[Oh no  
My heart’s against your chest, your lips pressed to my neck]

 

Blue flinched.

 

There it was. The rejection.

 

Blue wanted to look away, but Rus’ soft stare held his gaze. The small skeleton couldn’t hold back as tears pooled down from his sockets. Why did Rus have that look? How was he so calm while Blue’s world was crashing down around him? Blue’s whole body began to shake, his emotions pouring out with no stop in sight. This hurt. It hurt so badly. Rejection, loss, guilt, pain. These were the only emotions his soul could feel, and it felt like it was ripping the little heart shaped object to shreds.

 

Rus’ mouth spread to a soft smile. What was this? Why was he smiling about this?

 

“I want you to keep the hoodie.” Rus answered again.

 

[I’m falling for your eyes, but they don’t know me yet]

 

This didn’t make any sense. Was Rus trying to torture Blue? Was this payback? Did Rus want Blue to be in pain, agonizing over what could of been while holding onto the sweater as a constant reminder? “What? I don’t understand, why would you want me to keep-“

 

“You’re not my friend.” Rus interrupted Blue, reminding the other of his decision.

 

Stars, why was Rus being so cruel?

 

Rus simply smiled softly and continued. “Friends don’t give friends their hoodies to keep… but, that’s what boyfriends do, right?”

 

[And this feeling I’ll forget, I’m in love now]

 

Blue gasped as his soul pulsed.

 

“Boyfriends give their boyfriends their hoodies.” Rus’ smile widened as he watched Blue, waiting for the realization to sink into the smaller skeleton.

 

Blue’s sockets widened as he looked up at Rus. His soul slowly swelling with hope.

 

[Kiss me like you wanna be loved]

 

Rus leaned down, his bony hand cupping Blue’s cheeks as he gently wiped the other’s tears away with his thumbs. He stared into Blue’s wide eyes with his own, his gaze gentle and caring. “Blue…” he began, his voice soft and soothing, “I thought a lot about what you said over the weekend. And I realized… that I can’t stand not having you in my life. And while I’d be okay with just being your friend… I really want to be more…” Rus huffed softly in amusement as he thought over his next words. “I know I’m no prince charming. I’m not a hopeless romantic. I don’t see the world with cheer and positivity. I’m probably the furthest thing from perfect. But… when I’m with you… I can’t help but feel my world get a little bit brighter. You give me hope for the world. Hope for happiness, for a future, for love… but that’s only if you’re in it.”

 

[You wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved]

 

Blue felt his soul swell at the words, each one striking his entire being, causing the heart shaped object to pulse with happiness that radiated over every bone on his body while warming them. All he could do was reach up and cup Rus’ hands that were on his face.

 

The second their hands touched, light blue and orange magic sparked between them. Blue could suddenly feel the warmth radiating from Rus’ soul, the magic pulsing over his bones as well. The sensation left him breathless. Rus didn’t hate him. He could feel Rus’ soul reaching out to his. He could feel all the emotions the taller skeleton had for him. Fresh tears began to spill, tears of happiness.

 

[This feels like falling in love  
Falling in love  
We’re falling in love]

 

“Blue… if you don’t want to be with me, walk away right now. Because… Because I can’t…” Rus stared into Blue’s eyes, searching them, looking for an answer.

 

“Rus…” Blue’s voice trembled as shivers ran up his spine, Rus’ gaze setting his bones on fire. Could he do this? After everything he put Rus through?

 

“All you have to do is walk away…” Rus’ voice wavered as he leaned in closer to Blue. He knew now that he couldn’t stay away from the smaller skeleton. Although, if Blue didn’t want to be a part of his life, he would understand and respect his wishes. But Blue had to be the one to walk away first.

 

“Please…” The smaller skeleton shut his sockets tight as he trembled. He could feel Rus’ breath just inches from his own and he could feel himself leaning towards the taller skeleton, his soul beginning to glow in his chest. Could he really have a future with Rus? Was this right?

 

[Yeah I’ve been feeling everything  
From hate to love  
From love to lust  
From lust to truth  
I guess that’s now I know you]

 

“Just walk away…” Rus offered one last time, their teeth just mere centimeters away. He paused, refusing to lean in the rest of the way. Rus’ sockets closed as he waited for Blue’s answer.

 

[So I hold you close to help you give it up]

 

“I…” Blue’s voice caught in his nonexistent throat. He felt his soul glowing in his chest, meeting the glow of Rus’ soul. He didn’t need to open his eyes to see it, he could feel it. He could feel the other skeleton’s soul glowing with the same emotions. The sheer ferocity of the soul’s intense feelings were answer enough. “I can’t walk away!” Blue finally leaned in, crushing their teeth together in a desperate first kiss.

 

[So kiss me like you wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved  
This feels like falling in love  
Falling in love  
We’re falling in love]

 

An immediate wave of joy and relief flooded both skeletons. Rus leaned into Blue as he pushed his conjured tongue past the smaller skeletons teeth. Blue’s magic responded eagerly as he formed his own tongue, dancing and moving it with Rus’. It wasn’t rough or sloppy, but rather gentle and passionate. Blue held onto the taller skeleton like he was his life line.

 

Rus held Blue close as they continued to kiss in the empty class room, neither skeleton wanting to let go after finally giving into their feelings. After a while of passionate kissing, Rus pulled away to lock eyes with Blue. The smaller skeleton’s pupils were in the shape of hearts, his mouth a gape as he panted softly, his cheeks glowing a brilliant blue, just like his name.

 

“What do you say we go to your place for movies and tacos?” Rus smiled knowingly.

 

Blue couldn’t contain himself as his eyes morphed to stars. “Like... like an actual date?”

 

“Like an actual date.” Rus confirmed, chuckling softly at Blue’s enthusiasm.

 

Blue nodded frantically before running and gathering his belongings. He packed his laptop and papers all into one bag before swinging the strap onto one shoulder. Blue hummed happily as he finished packing away his teaching supplies, eager to get home to his first official date with Rus.

 

Rus watched the smaller skeleton hum with a little skip in his step. He chuckled under his breath and smiled. This was definitely a new adventure, for both of them. It was certainly a little scary, and the future was unclear. But… it was also exciting, and Rus was just happy that he was able to experience it with Blue.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

Red stood at the railing that overlooked the indoor courtyard of the literature building. The opening at the top of the building let in a warm rays of sun that felt good on his bones. The small skeleton pulled out his phone and texted Sans back letting him know he was okay. His friends had been worried about him after they found out what happened over the weekend. He figured they would be. He was a little miffed at having to text them every few hours, but he figured it wasn’t that bad considering how much he had made them worry. After Red sent the text, he placed his new phone back in his pocket and stared up at the light peeking through the opening of the building.

 

“Where you waiting long?”

 

[Kiss me like you wanna be loved]

 

Red turned and saw Fell joining him at the railing, the taller skeleton adjusting his leather jacket and bag across his shoulder. “Nope. How was the meeting with the other students?”

 

“Horrible. They’re all idiots. Why can’t they just get their work done like you?” Fell sighed as he rubbed the bridge between his sockets.

 

Red’s cheeks dusted a light crimson at the second hand compliment. He decided not to say anything else though, Fell looked stressed and he figured the other would enjoy a little calm and quiet. Instead Red turned to look back out at the lights that were slowly turning to dusk. It was getting late, he could tell the sun would be setting soon.

 

Suddenly, Red felt a hand on his. The smaller skeleton looked down and saw Fell’s bandaged covered hand on top of his own, the taller skeleton’s phalanges gently rubbing his fingers. As Red stared at the bandages, he couldn’t help but feel safe with Fell’s presence. Those bandages reminded Red of everything Fell went through to save him. It reminded him how much Fell actually cared about him. Red’s cheeks began to glow brighter as he chanced a glance up at the other skeleton.

 

[You wanna be loved  
You wanna be loved]

 

Fell was staring out into the courtyard, his face looked calm and content. Red couldn’t help but admire all of Fells gruff features. His sharp teeth. His thin scar across his socket. He looked so harsh and bad ass, yet only he knew the other side of Fell. The side that would throw all concern to the wind as he would run into a burning building just to save his pet.

 

“Shall we head home?” Fell finally turned to look at Red, his dark red eye lights burning into the smaller skeleton.

 

All Red could do was nervously nod and quickly look away. His soul was pounding in his chest with the look Fell was giving him.

 

Fell smirked at his pet. Red no longer stuttered around him, but he was still very shy. It was actually quite cute. Without letting go of Red’s hand, the taller skeleton moved and began to lead them out of the literature building. Red kept his head down as his skull burned bright crimson. They were walking through campus, holding hands. Red couldn’t stop himself from shaking slightly with heightened nerves. What if someone saw? What if he got Fell in trouble? What if-

 

[This feels like falling in love]

 

Red’s mind blanked as he felt Fell’s fingers move and entwine with his. The small skeleton’s shaking subsided immediately. He could feel warmth from Fell’s hand and it comforted him immensely. Slowly, Red moved his hand to grip at Fell’s tighter. He could feel the gauze from their bandages rubbing ever so slightly. Red wasn’t entirely sure, due to the bandages in the way, but he was almost certain that he felt little sparks of magic arc between their bones. Just then Red felt Fell’s thumb rub against the ridges of his bones soothingly, causing the sparks to return. The sparks didn’t hurt, but in fact felt warm and comforting. Red couldn’t stop a smile from spreading across his skull, his soul swelling with a warm feeling.

 

[Falling in love  
We’re falling in love]

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho boy, this chapter was a doozie. A little over 12k words. So you guys got basically 2 chapters in one xD
> 
> But at least now our skelebabies are finally all happy. All misunderstandings cleared up. Everyone can finally relax... ♥
> 
> Shout out to screamingbasement for beta reading o(^▽^)o  
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	15. Finding Your Footing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)  
> babypizzawonderland - [View Here](http://babypizzawonderland.tumblr.com/post/149599889407/tonight-you-lucky-people-get-a-progression-of)  
> coffeeyesman - [View Here](https://www.tumblr.com/dashboard/blog/coffeeyesman/149545985615)  
> rediculous4 - [View Here](http://rediculous4.tumblr.com/post/149701515724/fan-art-for-sinnyskelles-fan-fiction-to-love)
> 
> **Sorry for the wait guys. I was on a small break for a while and it kind of got extended. (╬ ꒪Д꒪)  
>  But now I'm back! And chapters should resume coming out back on schedule. ☆ **

 

Red awoke to a heavenly aroma wafting through the open door to Fell’s room, making his nonexistent stomach grumble and his mouth water. With sleep the last thing on his mind now, Red sat up in the luxurious bed letting the dark silk sheets pool at his waist. It had been a few days since Red started this extended sleep over at his professor’s place. At first Red thought Fell was just worried about his injuries and wanted to keep an eye on him, but as time went on and Red’s wounds finally healed, Fell continued to bring Red home with him. This confused the small skeleton beyond comprehension; He didn’t understand why Fell wanted him over all the time. Red let out a soft sigh as he stretched his spine letting his joints pop as he moved. Once he was done with his morning stretches, he finally decided to hop out of bed. With practiced movements, Red fixed the sheets on the bed, making everything smooth and ready for the next night’s rest. In the back of his mind Red wondered where Fell slept. Every night the two would sit on the couch in silence; Fell looking over the next day’s lecture material and Red working on his homework. And every night Red would fall asleep on the couch only to find himself dressed in one of Fell’s dress shirts and tucked into the large bed. The taller skeleton was always awake before him, so he had no idea where the other slept since Red seemed to have temporarily taken over Fell’s room and bed during his impromptu stay. Once Red was done fixing the covers, he looked down at his bare legs and gave a disgruntled look. What was Fell’s aversion to pants anyway? A small crimson blush spread across the skeleton’s cheeks as he wondered if Fell just liked seeing Red in his clothes. Red shook his head, ridding his mind of his growing perverse thoughts as he made his way out of the bedroom.

 

Once he entered the main living area Red could see Fell standing at the stove, a spatula in hand with a tablet propped up on the counter. It looked like he had pulled up a recipe for some sort of breakfast dish. Red nervously gripped at the sleeves to the long dress shirt as he debated joining Fell in the kitchen, or just stand in the living room till Fell noticed him. Even though the two had fallen into somewhat of a routine, it didn’t change the fact that Fell made the small skeleton incredibly nervous.

 

Even though Red had made no noise, Fell still looked up and noticed the smaller skeleton’s presence. “You’re up.” Was all the greeting Red received from the taller skeleton.

 

“Good morning.” Red kept his gaze down as he fiddled with the sleeves more. Stars, this was something he was never going to get used to.

 

Fell raised a brow ridge at his pet’s nervous behavior. Red really was a strange monster. On the outside he looked tough and unapproachable, but yet anyone who was close to the skeleton would vouch that Red was one of the most timid monsters around. His shy and anxious demeanor was only a front, Fell knew better. He had seen the power the small skeleton wielded first hand. He also knew Red was incredibly intelligent. With a little confidence, Red could easily become a member of the Royal Council.

 

There had always been tension between monsters and humans. And it also didn’t help that humans didn’t view monsters as equal citizens. Even though they lived together, monsters have their own government separate from the humans. It’s small, run by few, but it works. Monsters have always been seen as something as permanent immigrants. Never fully given equal rights, always fighting to be treated the same as any other human. The Royal Council could use a smart and powerful monster such as Red. Fell smiled at the idea. His pet would most likely be a far better fit than him anyway.

 

Fell frowned at the memory of the Royal Council coming to him and asking him to join. Their small government led by none other than Asgore, dean of the school. He recalled the way Asgore asked so kindly of Fell to be one of their advisers. The skeleton grimaced at how soft and innocent the leader seemed. Asgore was a fine dean, but as a leader of a government he was a pathetic pushover. Fell had declined them, not wanting anything to do with kind hearted leader. He could tell that they wouldn’t get along and that their ideas on how to handle humans differed far too greatly. 

   

“Fell?”

 

The tall skeleton returned from his thoughts and saw Red standing just a bit closer, a concerned look etched on his skull. Fell huffed and returned to the task at hand as he resumed stirring the ingredients in the skillet. Red must have caught him zoning off. His pet was becoming ever more observant of his behaviors. Fell knew Red was starting to be able to read his small mannerisms. He didn’t like that; he didn’t want Red getting too close… Red was only a pet…

 

“Red, come here.”

 

Red flinched at the sudden command, but nodded and walked up to Fell’s side as instructed.    

 

“Here, taste this and tell me what it’s missing.” Fell scooped up a small portion of sautéed mushrooms, bell peppers and eggs onto the spatula before holding it out for Red.

 

The small skeleton felt his cheeks warm slightly at the gesture. He knew it was just a taste test, but something about it felt so… intimate. Red knew Fell took pride in his cooking, so for his professor to trust his opinion, it made Red feel as if he was becoming closer to Fell, almost as if they were equals. Slowly Red tip toed up and took the small bite of food. His mouth was assaulted with a myriad of delicious flavors and spices. He honestly couldn’t think of anything else to add to the dish, it tasted incredible as always.

 

“It tastes perfect.” Red offered, hoping that was the right praises Fell was looking for.

 

Fell gave a thoughtful look before leaning down to Red’s level. With swift movements, Fell reached forward and tilted the smaller skeleton’s skull up right as he crushed their teeth together in a deep kiss. Startled, Red gasped allowing his professors deep crimson tongue to invade his mouth. Red couldn’t help but moan into the kiss. Fell’s kisses were so dominant and demanding, it made his legs tremble, threatening to give way. As if anticipating this, Fell’s other arm snaked around Red’s midsection, pulling the smaller skeleton close till their ribs were pressed together. All Red could do was cling onto Fell’s apron as his mind went blank while his tongue moved effortlessly with Fell’s.

 

Slowly, Fell parted from the kiss, but still held the smaller skeleton close to him. Red panted softly as he stared up at Fell’s contemplative expression. After a moment of silence and staring Fell finally stood up straight, letting Red go. “Needs paprika.” He announced as he turned back towards the stove.

 

Red placed a shaky hand against his sharp teeth as he tried to calm his nerves. No matter how close they had become, Fell always had a way to turn Red into a nervous blushing mess.

 

“Red.”

 

The small skeleton jumped and removed his bony hand from his teeth. “Y-yes?”

 

“Would you mind grabbing the paprika?” Fell smirked and watched Red out of the corner of his eye.

 

Red’s cheeks flared back up to a light crimson as he nodded frantically. It took the small skeleton a few try’s to find the spice rack in the large kitchen, but once he did it was easy to locate the paprika. Fell had everything labeled and organized alphabetically. The small skeleton smiled in amusement. It was easy to see Fell had some OCD tendencies.

 

Once Red grabbed the spice, he walked up to his professor’s side, but before Red could hand Fell the paprika, Fell moved from his spot in front of the stove allowing Red to step in his place. Red froze as his phalanges began to shake. Fell didn’t want Red to just hand him the spice, he wanted Red to add it himself. Immediately Red’s mind began to work in overdrive. What if he put too much? What if he ruined Fell’s dish? Was this a test?    

 

Fell could easily see Red was starting to panic, but he stayed silent and kept his expression impassive. Red needed to learn to have more confidence in himself. He figured they would start small, and that cooking seemed to be the most appropriate exercise in this situation.

 

Red hesitantly stepped forward in front of the stove. After a moment of staring into the pan Red finally popped the lid to the spice and shook the container a few times. Fell couldn’t see how much Red added, but that wasn’t the point of the exercise. The small skeleton then stirred the dish a bit before stepping to the side. Red quickly looked down, avoiding Fell’s gaze as he started fiddling with the sleeves to the borrowed dress shirt.

 

The taller skeleton then stepped forward to the skillet and scooped up a portion to taste. Upon first bite, Fell had to fight from making a face. The taste was indescribable. There was entirely too much paprika. With as much focus as he could muster, Fell swallowed the bite and resisted the urge to run to the fridge for a drink. He could see out of the corner of his eye Red was glancing up at him nervously. Fell’s sharp teeth stretched into a soft smirk as he reached out and petted the top of Red’s skull. “Good job. It tastes superb.”

 

Red’s cheeks flushed bright at the praise. He kept his head down but smiled brightly as he leaned into Fell’s touch. Red couldn’t help but shout with joy in his head. He didn’t fuck up _and_ Fell praised him! Today was going to be a good day!

 

“You should get ready for class.” Fell reminded Red as he dished out the food into a Tupperware container. Even though the spices were completely off, he knew Red had put a lot of effort into the small act of seasoning. He figured he wouldn’t let the food go to waste. Besides, he enjoyed spicy foods. With the right beverage, he could stomach this.

 

“Oh, right.” Red nodded to Fell before heading to the laundry room. Red realized shortly after the start of his extended stay that Fell would wash his uniform overnight for him so it would be ready each morning. As Red slipped on his school’s uniform dress shirt and slacks he thought to himself about his living conditions. Was this arrangement with Fell permanent? What even was their relationship? Did masters and pets normally live together?

 

Red stared at his cream colored sweater in contemplation before slipping the garment over his head. He felt like he and Fell needed to have a talk, but he wasn’t sure how to bring up the subject. The small skeleton fiddled with the sleeves of his sweater as he thought of ways to talk to Fell. What if he was being presumptuous about the whole situation?  Red realized with a start that he hadn’t even tried going home yet. It was very possible that Fell was just too polite to kick him out. As Red smoothed out his uniform he decided that he would go home tonight. He had been enough of a burden on Fell already, he had probably overstayed his welcome.

 

“Red! Let’s go!”

 

“Coming!” Red checked himself over one last time before he ran towards the front door where his book bag and Fell would be waiting.

 

______________________________________________

 

Sans let out a large yawn as he leaned against the counter to the small kitchenette. Through half lidded sockets, he watched Papyrus hum happily while he chopped ingredients for the day’s dish. He hadn’t paid any attention during the lecture part of the class so he had no idea what they were making. He figured it didn’t matter, Papyrus was more than enthusiastic to do most of the work. Although he wasn’t a completely useless partner. He would hand the other skeleton utensils and ingredients when ever asked, but other than that, he mostly tried not to fall asleep where he stood.

 

Sans felt his sockets getting heavier as his skull drooped ever so often. Man he needed coffee bad.

 

“Sans are you alright?”

 

With a little effort Sans craned his head up to see Papyrus watching him with a worried expression, his voice subdued as to keep from startling him. The small skeleton glanced at the food in the skillet then back at Papyrus as he forced his signature grin on his face. “I’m fine Paps, just a little _fried_.” 

 

Papyrus made a face at the smaller skeleton’s pun, but refrained from commenting. “Sans please be honest with me.”

 

“It’s okay, really. Just haven’t been getting enough sleep lately.” Sans waves his hand lethargically before flopping his skull down onto the counter fully.

 

“IS IT BECAUSE WE WOKE UP EARLY TO CLEAN?! SANS IF YOU NEEDED MORE SLEEP YOU SHOULD HAVE JUST SAID SO!”

 

“Don’t worry Paps, I was up long before we started cleaning.” Sans chuckled with amusement at the memory. Papyrus insisted that they clean the apartment before heading off to school. Rus was planning on bringing Blue over for the first time and Papyrus felt it necessary to make the apartment look presentable. Sans could see that Blue and Papyrus were very much alike in their neurotic tendencies.  It was easy to see that the two had become good friends and Papyrus just wanted to make a good impression on Blue. Sans chuckled again at the thought. Papyrus seemed more concerned about Blue’s visit than Rus.

 

“REALLY? ODD… I WOULD HAVE NOTICED IF YOU HAD GOTTEN UP…” Papyrus put a bony finger to his chin deep in thought as their skillet ignited in flames behind him.

 

“Heh, what can I say, I’m sneaky skeleton.” With his head still resting on the countertop, Sans left eye began to glow as he levitated the nearby fire extinguisher and doused the flames.

 

“INDEED YOU ARE YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!” Papyrus turned back towards the stove right as the fire extinguisher popped out of existence. The tall skeleton began to dump the new, freshly chopped ingredients into the foam covered skillet.

 

Sans sighed as he let his sockets close just for a moment. How was he supposed to tell Papyrus that he was awake but never left the bed? That he spent hours just staring at the other skeleton trying to convince himself the Papyrus was okay, and that his nightmares weren’t real? Sans reached up and rubbed his hand across his face, the sound of bone on bone grating against his skull.

 

Even though his nightmares were still incredibly vague, he had them enough to piece together that he was dreaming about Papyrus dying. The stark red against the pure white was his red scarf, and the dust that covered the cloth was his…

 

Sans pried open his sockets to watch Papyrus work, his eyes focusing on the other skeleton worried that he may vanish in an instant.

 

He didn’t understand his dreams. They were just flashes. Vague colors and shapes. No context. He didn’t want to worry Papyrus, so he figured he would keep his dreams to himself.

 

Another yawn escaped the small skeleton’s mouth as Sans stretched over the counter. Although, these nightmares were really interfering with his sleep. It was only a matter of time before he fell down some stairs or passed out over a Bunsen burner.

 

After a long battle, Sans finally gave in and his sockets closed as he nodded off.

 

Papyrus watched the smaller skeleton quietly out of the corner of his eye. He would let Sans sleep for now. Papyrus knew Sans hadn’t been sleeping well. He knew the other skeleton would lay awake at night after being woken up by a nightmare. He was very observant of Sans, but he wanted the other skeleton to come to him. The first few times Sans awoke from his nightmares, Papyrus tried his best to get the other to divulge what the dreams was about. If Sans talked about his dreams, they could find the root of the issue and stop the nightmares from happening. Unfortunately Sans was evasive as always. Redirecting the conversation with puns in hopes the other skeleton would drop the subject. Papyrus frowned as he thought about it. He didn’t want to force Sans to talk about his dreams, he wanted Sans to feel comfortable enough to talk to him on his own. Papyrus let out a small sigh of frustration. He felt helpless. All he could do was hold Sans tighter while he pretended to sleep in hopes that his presence would be comfort enough.

 

“Hey Papyrus! Do you have any spare tomatoes?”

 

Papyrus was torn from his thoughts as he turned around to the kitchenette behind him and saw Frisk standing at the edge with a worried look on her face. The tall skeleton smiled reassuringly and held up his last tomato. “OF COURSE FRISK! YOU CAN HAVE THIS ONE!”

 

“Oh thank you Papyrus! Asriel destroyed all ours.” Frisk gave a playful smirk towards the goat monster who poked his head up from behind a cabinet, tomato sauce spattered on his fur.

 

“Hey! These things are tricky! They’re so much squishier than snails.” Asriel proceeded to try and wipe his fur clean of the tomato residue, yet only succeeding in splattering the sauce onto Frisk.

 

“Hey!” Frisk giggled at her friend’s antics. She then took the chopping knife from Asriel and cut a large peace of ruined tomato, making sure the chunk splattered on both of them. The two fell into a fit of laughter as red tomato sauce dripped from their cheeks.

 

“YOU TWO! THAT’S ENOUGH MESSING AROUND! YOU’LL NEVER FINISH YOUR DISH AT THIS RATE!” Papyrus put his hands on his hips as he lectured his friends good-naturedly.

 

Frisk finally calmed down from her fit of giggles as she turned back towards the tall skeleton. “Sorry Papyrus. You’re right.”

 

“HERE, YOU’LL NEED THIS.” Papyrus held out the tomato. His friends were so silly sometimes. It was a good thing they had a cool guy like him looking out for them.

 

“Thanks again Papyrus!” Frisk turned from her kitchenette and headed towards Papyrus.

 

Sans let out a small groan as he awoke from his short nap to the sounds of loud laughter. With half lidded sockets, he looked up just in time to see Frisk walking towards the pair. His soul immediately froze as flashes of dreamt images danced across his vision.

 

Red eyes.

 

Wide sadistic smile.

 

A knife.

 

Gold hallway.

 

Dust, littering across soft white snow.

 

A lone red scarf billowing in the wind.

 

The image of Papyrus smiling and reaching out as he dissolved into nothingness, and the world turned dark.

 

Sans stumbled in his half awake, half asleep state as he tried to focus on reality.

 

No. These were just nightmares. These weren’t real, it wasn’t real.

 

As Sans looked up and strained his eyes to focus on his class and his surroundings he felt a strange sense of fuzziness. His senses tingled and everything looked as though the world was viewed through a TV which was stuck on a channel of static. His eyes landed back on Frisk, red blood dripping down her cheek, knife in hand, a sadistic smile spread across her face.

 

She was stepping towards Papyrus.

 

“No…” Sans whispered as flashes continued to cross his sight. “No!” His left eye ignited with wispy cyan colored magic. “NO!”

 

Sans screamed as he raised his hand and with a small ping, Frisk’s soul was turned blue.

 

Frisk gasped as she felt her whole body become encased in heavy, constricting magic. Her lungs unable to fill with air from the crushing hold. She looked over at Sans and saw his eye lights had disappeared all except his left eye which was now radiating a ghostly blue. She tried to call out to the skeleton, but without any air in her lungs she couldn’t force a sound out of her throat.

 

“Sans! What are you doing!?” Asriel was quick to run around the corner, fire magic alighting in his palm as he watched Frisk levitate off the ground, her body shrouded in a thin line of blue magic. “Put her down!”

 

Papyrus jumped to attention and immediately ran in front of Sans to block the small skeleton from any fireballs Asriel had at the ready. “NO! STOP IT BOTH OF YOU!”

 

Papyrus began to panic. He didn’t know what was going on, but all he knew for certain was that Sans had 1 HP, and all it would take was a single shot from Asriel and the other skeleton would be dust.

 

“Sans! Put Frisk down NOW!” Asriel moved in front of Frisk protectively.

 

The air was tense, neither monster willing to move from their protective stances.

 

Other groups of students had long abandoned their cooking to gather in a circle and watch the standoff unfold. Whispers spread amongst the monsters, no one willing to speak out or step up in fear of being attacked in the crossfire.

 

Papyrus looked around nervously. There were too many people, someone was going to get hurt. Without moving from his spot, Papyrus turned his head to look at Sans behind him. His sockets immediately widened and his chest felt tight. Sans stayed hunched over, his eye lights gone with tears streaming down his face, his left eye blazing with uncontrolled magic.

 

“SANS… WHAT-“

 

Papyrus stopped mid-sentence as he realized in Sans zoned out state, the small skeleton was muttering something softly to no one in particular.

 

“No… Don’t hurt Papyrus… Please no… Paps, come back… Please… I’m sorry… I’m sorry…”

 

Papyrus quickly turned and knelt in front of the small skeleton, his eyes swelled with worry. “SANS! I’M OKAY! I’M RIGHT HERE! SANS!” Slowly, Papyrus reached out and cupped Sans skull in his hands, his hold gentle and comforting.

 

Right as Papyrus’s fingers made contact with his skull, Sans snapped out of his trance. His eye lights quickly returned to his sockets as he looked up at the taller skeleton in front of him. “Papyrus…?” Sans felt the fuzziness of the world fade away, and just like that, he was back to reality.

 

With his attention no longer focused on Frisk’s soul, his magic swiftly faded and Frisk dropped to the floor with a thump.

 

Asriel was quick to rush to Frisk’s side and rub her back as the girl coughed and wheezed, finally able to fill her lungs with precious air.

 

“What happened...?” Sans looked over Papyrus’s shoulder to see students standing around them with fear in their eyes. He then glanced over to Frisk and saw his friend huddled into Asriel’s arms, shaking with terror.

 

“THANK GOODNESS YOU’RE BACK TO YOUR NORMAL SELF, SANS!” Papyrus enveloped the small skeleton into a tight embrace as he tried to hold back his own bones from trembling.

 

“Did I… do something?” Sans frowned as realization started sinking in.

 

His dream. While he was attacking the human in his dream, he was attacking Frisk in real life. Sans looked down at his hands as his phalanges began to shake. He was ready to let loose a wave of bones. Had he done so, he would have _killed_ Frisk.

 

“What the hell were you thinking Sans? You could have seriously hurt Frisk!” Asriel shouted as he continued to hold Frisk’s shaking form in his arms.

 

“I… I’m…” Sans couldn’t finish his thought. His words coming out in stutters as he trembled uncontrollably.

 

“You-!” Asriel was cut off as Frisk placed a gentle hand on the goat monster’s shoulder.

 

“Sans?” Frisk spoke up softly, though her voice still a little shaky. “Are you okay?” The human girl sat up straight as she looked over at her friend, concern marked on her normally impassive expression.

 

“What the hell is going on here?”

 

Everyone froze and turned towards the professor who stepped back into his class to find all his students surrounding the four in the middle.

 

“Uh, nothing professor! We just stopped another fire from starting is all!” Frisk spoke up before anyone else could.

 

Asriel shot Frisk a questioning look while Papyrus sighed with relief. If Sans had been caught fighting in class, that would have been an immediate expulsion.

 

Hearing Frisks words, the rest of the classmates got the hint as they all slowly began to disperse. Though that didn’t stop the students from whispering and gossiping to one another. So many questions still left unanswered. On the other hand, the professor seemed satisfied with Frisk’s answer. His class had caused one too many fires this semester already, so he was pleased to hear that his students avoided yet another catastrophe.

 

“Alright everyone, back to work.” The professor shooed all the gossiping students back into paying attention to their dishes as he himself began to wonder between the groups to check on their progress.

 

Papyrus finally let out a sigh that he was holding before turning towards Frisk giving her the most genuine, grateful smile he could muster. “THANK YOU…” The tall skeleton tightened his hold on Sans, still feeling the other shake.

 

Asriel let out a huff of frustration as he turned his head away. Frisk simply returned Papyrus’s smile. “It’s okay. Sans is my friend, I know he wouldn’t do something like that for no reason. Is he… okay?” Frisk’s smile faltered as she looked at the small shaking skeleton. This was so much unlike Sans, it made Frisk worry even further.  

 

Papyrus looked down at Sans and saw that the other was staring off into the distance, his bones rattling with each tremor. The sight made his soul clench painfully. He had no idea what was going on in Sans head, but it was clear the other skeleton needed time to calm down before he was ready to talk about anything. “I’m not sure Frisk…”

 

The rest of the class flew by with blinding speed. Papyrus was more worried about Sans than any culinary dish, so finishing the days lesson was out of the question. The tall skeleton spoke to the professor and handed in a half cooked monstrosity. He didn’t even care what grade he got, all that mattered was getting Sans home. He wasn’t completely sure, but he had a strong feeling that Sans lack of sleep played a huge roll in today’s incident. He was sure to send the smaller skeleton straight to bed when they got to his apartment.

 

Just as Papyrus finished packing up his book bag, he noticed Sans walking towards Frisk and Asriel. A flash of panic gripped at Papyrus’s soul as he saw Asriel take a readying stance, weary of the smaller skeleton after the power display from earlier.

 

Sans had since stopped his shaking, but he was mostly quiet, so Papyrus was surprised to see Sans talking with Frisk. He wasn’t close enough to hear what was said, but he had a pretty good idea what they were talking about.

 

Sans made a few hand gestures before looking to the ground and awkwardly rubbing his arm. While Asriel looked unimpressed, Frisk smiled brightly and hugged the small skeleton. Papyrus could easily see Sans flinch, but it was only for a moment. The other skeleton was quick to recover and return the gesture. Papyrus smiled seeing the two put the incident behind them and return to being good friends. Frisk was quite the merciful human. She could have easily let Asriel attack Sans, or even get the skeleton in trouble for what he did. But instead she stood by her friend and protected him.

 

After what looked like a few goodbye’s, Sans turned and made his way back over to Papyrus’s side. Even though he wasn’t shaking and was talking again, there was no mistake of the fear and exhaustion plastered on the smaller skeleton’s skull.

 

“SANS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?” Papyrus placed a worried hand on the other skeleton’s shoulder.

 

Sans looked up and forced a smile across his face, although it didn’t seem to reach his eyes. “I’m okay Paps. I’m sorry for scaring you and causing all this mess…”

 

“YOU KNOW YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THIS…” Papyrus warned. He wasn’t going to let this slide. He had been doing that too much with Sans nightmares and look where that got them.

 

“I know… Just… not right now. Let’s go home?” Sans looked up at the taller skeleton with pleading eyes.

 

Papyrus sighed and smiled. “OF COURSE. LET’S GO HOME.” There was no way he could say no to Sans when he gave him that look.

 

With a small *blip* the two vanished from the culinary room and teleported to the apartment.

 

______________________________________________________

 

“Wowzers, your place is huge!” Blue looked around the apartment with wide eyes, taking in every detail of his boyfriends living arrangement. Blue paused and blushed at his own thoughts. Boyfriend. It had been less than a week, but just hearing the word made him giddy with happiness. After finally confessing their feelings to one another, things had pretty much gone back to normal. Well… normal with an added bonus. Rus was no longer holding back his affectionate touches. Blue had spent the better part of the week simply snuggled into the other skeleton’s arms. So far, Rus was doing a good job adapting to the whole relationship lifestyle and his role as a boyfriend. Blue smiled up at Rus who had just placed a freshly lit cigarette between his teeth.

 

“It’s not that big. Your place is just small.” Rus chuckled and gave a wink to the smaller skeleton. In the back of his mind, Rus was incredibly grateful for Papyrus cleaning up this morning. When he texted the others that he would be bringing Blue over for the first time, he was worried Blue might freak out over the mess. He knew the petite skeleton was a bit of a clean freak. His bedroom was messy enough, the rest of the apartment didn’t need to be dirty as well. Speaking of messy rooms…

 

Rus watched with trepidation as Blue started wondering to the hall that led to his bedroom. “Uh... Blue?”

 

“Which room is yours?” Before waiting for an answer, Blue pushed open the door to his right. He noticed how the door didn’t really close all the way. Upon closer inspection he saw signs of the door been broken in. What in the world happened here? Before Blue could ponder more on the subject, his attention was brought to the messy room in front of him. It was a little bare, no personal touches at all aside from the half empty honey bottle on the nightstand and an ash tray on the floor. The bed was messy and unmade, and there were a few piles of clothes thrown in the closet probably to simulate the appearance of a clean room. Yup. This was Rus’ room alright. 

 

Rus stood behind Blue quietly as the smaller skeleton took in the new surroundings.

 

“This isn’t going to work…” Blue spoke softly

 

“W-what do you mean?” Rus felt a small flash of panic. Would Blue really break off the relationship over a dirty bedroom?

 

With a turn of his heel, Blue spun around to face Rus, his face scrunched up in an adorable pout. “How do you expect me to sleep over in this mess? The room is so depressed looking. There are no posters, or window treatments, and your sheets and pillow cases don’t even match! You need a room make over!”

 

Rus felt the ash at the tip of his cigarette drop to the floor as he stared stunned at the small angry skeleton before him. Was that it? He just didn’t like how Rus decorated his room? Rus then burst into a fit of laughter over Blue’s outburst, his hands wrapping around his middle as he leaned over.

 

“What’s so funny?” Blue’s cheeks puffed out even further while they began to dust a light cyan with embarrassment.  

 

“It’s nothing. It’s just such a silly thing to get all bent out of shape over.” Rus wiped a stray tear from his eye while he recovered from his fit of laughter.

 

“Well it’s important to me.” Blue gave Rus a soft smile. It was important that both people in the relationship were made to feel comfortable and welcomed in the others spaces.

 

Rus returned Blue’s smile and rubbed the back of his skull. He couldn’t say no to that face, Blue was his one weakness. “You’re right. If it’s important for you, then it’s important for me too. What do you say we go shopping later? I’m not good with this stuff, so you can show me what it is the room needs.” Rus shrugged while taking a slow drag of his cigarette.

 

Honestly he didn’t care what Blue did with his room. He could paint the walls hot pink and it probably wouldn’t bother the lazy skeleton. Rus didn’t care enough to bother with his own room, so if this little project made Blue happy, than he was completely okay with letting Blue do what he wanted. As long as Blue was happy, that’s all that mattered.

 

“Really! Yeah, let’s do it!” Blue’s eyes morphed to stars right as he jumped forward, wrapping his arms around the taller skeleton.

 

Rus’ smile widened as he wrapped his arms around Blue. It seemed like he was never going to get used to this. It was like a dream come true finally being able to hold and kiss Blue whenever he wanted without things feeling awkward. Slowly, Rus leaned down and clanked his teeth against Blue’s in a tender kiss. He felt the smaller skeleton flinch with shock but quickly recover and kiss back. Long arms wrapped around Blue’s small frame as he pulled the skeleton closer, his tongue licking at the other’s teeth asking for entrance. Rus could feel Blue shiver in his hold right before a soft wet tongue poked out to meet his. Once given permission, Rus changed the pace completely. His long orange tongue wrapped around Blue’s taking the smaller appendage hostage as he deepened the kiss. Slowly, he moved till he had the smaller skeleton pinned against the wall. Rus could hear a soft whine escape his boyfriend’s mouth the same time he felt small hands grip at his shirt. Stars! Blue was intoxicating. His taste, his sounds, the feel of his small bones pressed against his.

 

Blue could hardly think straight. His bones warmed with each gasp of air he took between kisses. This was so different from what he was used to. Rus was assertive, yes, but he was by no means rough. Blue was expecting the other to turn him around and spank him by now, or something painful! But no. Rus was taking his time. He was gentle. Blue felt the other’s hands move down to his hips, bony fingers rubbing his iliac crests through his pants. The ministrations were firm but slow, almost like a massage. Slowly, Rus guided Blue’s hips forward and the small skeleton gasped as his hips met with the others. Blue couldn’t stop the small moans escaping into the messy kiss as he felt Rus grind against him. This was all so much to take in. Rus’ movements were like a dance, leading and guiding Blue along rather than dragging him through the steps. Blue’s eyes morphed into little hearts as Rus parted the kiss, a small trail of saliva connecting them. He looked up at Rus noticing a small dusting of orange across the taller skeleton’s cheeks as he panted softly. Stars Rus looked like he wanted to devour him. And Blue wanted nothing more than to let him, to beg him to.

 

Just as Blue was leaning up to kiss Rus once more, there was a *blip* sound in the living room indicating Sans and Papyrus were home. Blue felt his cheek bones burning with a fierce blush realizing that had they gone any further, they would have been caught in an awkward predicament.

 

Rus let out a long exasperated sigh as he rested his head in the crook of Blue’s neck. He loved his friends, but they had the _worst_ timing. Rus stayed still against Blue as he took a few deep breaths trying to calm his stirred up magic. It had yet to form, but it was enough to glow and cause discomfort. Rus’ eyes closed as he felt gentle hands rub up and down his spine in a soothing gesture. A smile crept across his skull as he relaxed against the touches. He looked up and saw Blue flashing an apologetic smile at him, the smaller skeleton knowing all too well the frustrations of the situation.

 

“Heh, thanks babe.” Rus leaned up and planted a chaste skeleton kiss on Blue’s cheek before standing straight and stretching out. 

   

Blue felt his cheeks warm up to the pet name as he looked to the side sheepishly. Rus was completely different from Fell. All the affection, the gentle touches, the sweet talk. Even though it was everything Blue ever wanted in a relationship, he simply didn’t know how to handle all these new behaviors.

 

Once Rus and Blue had calmed down, the two left Rus’ room to join the others in the living room. Rus was about to greet his friends when his eyes landed on Sans. The small skeleton looked exhausted with his uniform more wrinkled than usual and dark circles shading his sockets. Rus looked up at Papyrus with a questioning look.

 

The jock skeleton met Rus’ gaze and shook his head slightly with a silent answer.

 

Blue could easily sense the tension between Papyrus and Sans, the feeling making Blue frown with worry. He could tell there was something going on, but he wasn’t sure if he should say anything. “So… How was your guys’ day?” He asked lamely.

 

“Today was fine.” Sans offered as he straightened himself out.

 

Papyrus began fidgeting with his hands. It was obvious Sans wanted to hide what was bothering him along with any indications of what had happened today. Should he fallow along and lie? Should he really be lying to his friends? One look at Rus and Papyrus could see that the other skeleton wasn’t buying it, but he could also see that from Rus’ silence he wasn’t planning on calling Sans out on his bluff either. Papyrus opted to stay quiet. It didn’t feel right to lie to Rus and Blue, but if he just didn’t answer then he wouldn’t be technically lying, right?

 

“Oh well that’s good?” Blue was floundering. He didn’t know how to defuse the situation. There was so much tension in the air it almost felt suffocating. The small skeleton looked up to Rus with pleading eyes.

 

Catching Blue’s look, Rus nodded and stepped in. “Hey uh Blue and I were planning to go out and do some shopping. Did you guys want to come?” Rus asked as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his skull.

 

“OH THAT WOULD BE PERFECT!” Papyrus pipped up. “I COULD GET A COSTUME WHILE WE’RE OUT!” The tall jock skeleton beamed as he suddenly remembered the Halloween party he was invited to a while back.

 

“A costume?” Blue perked up as this new information caught the small skeleton’s attention.

 

“OH! AND YOU WILL NEED ONE AS WELL SANS.” Papyrus smiled hoping that their shopping trip would be just the kind of relaxing outing Sans need to keep his mind off of the incident during culinary class. Then he would be sure to send Sans straight to bed right after.

 

“Why would I need a costume?” Sans looked up at Papyrus, confusion melted into his tired sockets.

 

Papyrus immediately froze.

 

Oh no. He had completely forgotten to talk to Sans about Doggo’s party.

 

In his frantic search to do anything to keep Sans mind occupied he had disastrously forgotten this major issue. This was probably the worst time to bring up Doggo’s party, but now he was stuck. This information would surely upset Sans even further. This was the last thing he wanted to do to the other skeleton. “UM WELL… YOU SEE…” Papyrus returned to wringing his hands together nervously. “I WAS-WELL _WE_ WERE INVITED TO A HALLOWEEN PARTY.”

 

“Oh. We were? Well then yeah I guess we need to get costumes.” Sans agreed not even questioning whose party it was they were to attend.

 

Papyrus sighed inwardly. Crisis temporarily avoided.

 

“So does that mean you guys won’t be joining us at Grilbz for Halloween?” Rus questioned the two.

 

“Grilbz?” Blue felt his marrow freeze over at the name.

 

Memories of humans drugging him and fondling his soul as they attempted to kidnap him ran across his head. He flexed his hands before balling them into tight fists in order to hide his shaking. Grilbz was absolutely the last place he ever wanted to go. Blue didn’t dislike humans, but he would be lying if he didn’t admit that his last encounter with them had left a permanent mark.

 

“Yeah, we go there every year for Halloween. It’s tradition. Well, even though the tradition is only one year old.” Rus chuckled at the memory of their last Halloween at Grilbz, completely oblivious to Blue’s internal break down.

 

“How about we go to this party at the beginning of the night, then join the rest of you guys at Grilbz later in the evening.” Sans offered as he looked at Papyrus to see if the solution would work.

 

The jock skeleton smiled nervously and nodded his head, not trusting his voice at the moment. He was afraid if he talked about the party any further he’d let slip who’s party it was. He knew he would have to tell Sans eventually and he didn’t like the idea of withholding such important information from him. But he knew now was just not the time to deal with it. Also, if he was honest with himself, part of him was worried that if Sans knew the party was hosted by Doggo the other skeleton would refuse to come. Papyrus wanted so badly to make things work with everyone. It was possible Doggo wasn’t such a bad guy. Papyrus sighed inwardly. He just wanted to make more friends. His teammates seemed to have the wrong idea about Sans. The small skeleton was more than a science enthusiast, he was kind and funny and charming. If they got together, it was possible the jock world and the nerd world could finally bridge the gap that divided them. His teammates just needed to get to know Sans. Then they would be open to the others like Rus and Red.

 

“Well that settles it. You’ll meet up with us after your party.” Rus smiled before turning to Blue. “Hey Blue, do you want to get a costume too?”

 

“Huh? Oh sure.” Blue forced the largest smile he could while his hands continued to shake at his sides. He and Rus just started dating; And this Halloween thing at Grilbz was a tradition, he didn’t want to get in the way of that. What kind of tone would that set the relationship if he started off forcing Rus to abandon his friends? He would have to suck it up and go to the dreaded club.

 

He’d do it for Rus.

 

________________________________________________________

 

Red let out a heavy sigh as he teleported to his room. A student had caught Fell after class giving Red the perfect opportunity to head home without having any awkward conversations with Fell. This way, Fell wouldn’t feel obligated to take him home. The small skeleton let his book bag drop to the floor before flopping onto the familiar bed. Even though his home wasn’t exactly warm or welcoming, it was still his, and the familiar surroundings helped ease his anxiety. It was draining both mentally and physically to live in a place that wasn’t yours. Always being on your toes worried you might overstep as a guest. Red sighed once more as he relaxed into his pillow and blanket. Maybe sleep would come easy tonight.

 

“Um, who are you?”

 

Red shot up from his comfortable position and saw a random rabbit girl standing in his doorway. She had a look of shock and disgust on her face.

 

“I should be asking you that. Get the hell out of my room.” Red growled as he pointed towards the hall.

 

“Your room? This is my room!” The rabbit monster huffed and crossed her arms.

 

“Like hell it is! Look lady, I don’t know how much you’ve had to drink but this is my apartment and this is my room. So **get out**.” Red eye began to glow with magic. He was in no mood for these drunk one night stand girls to give him crap.

 

The rabbit monster flinched as Red’s voice dipped dangerously low and the air crackled with fresh magic. “DOGGO!” The girl screamed and ran down the hall.

 

Oh shit.

 

This wasn’t good.

 

Doggo soon stormed into the room and quickly spotted Red on the bed. His once angry expression quickly morphed to that of sadistic joy. “Well, well, well, look who finally came home.”

 

Red didn’t know if he should stand up and ready himself for an attack or stay still. He couldn’t tell if Doggo was drunk or not. It was hard to determine which course of action would set the mutt off quicker.

 

“You’ve been gone for so long I decided to repurpose your room. This is now the sex room. And oh, I wouldn’t sit in that bed if I were you. We don’t wash the sheets.”

 

“Ugh! Disgusting!” Red flung himself off his bed and quickly began looking over his clothes for any signs of residue.

 

Doggo couldn’t stop himself from throwing his head back and howling with laughter. “Ha ha! Well either way, you gotta go find another place to stay bud. Sleep in the park or something, I don’t care. But uh, we’re going to need that bed tonight.”

 

“Fuck you! Go have your pathetic sex in your own bed!” Red shot back as he tore off the sheets from his mattress. The small skeleton flinched and made a face. Whatever Doggo had been doing had seeped through the sheets. No amount of washing would ever rid the mattress of the mystery stains. It was probably best to just burn it.  

 

“Yeah... no. I’m not taking orders from the likes of you. Some pathetic, worthless, one HP monster.” Doggo rocked on the heels of his paws while smirking at Red. He knew exactly how to put the small skeleton monster down. In a few moments Red would crumble into a shaking nervous wreck. It was so easy it was almost laughable.

 

“Sounds to me like you wanna get your ass kicked by a one HP monster. Man are you desperate for some embarrassment or what.” Red huffed and readied his magic. Sparks of red magic danced across his fingers, just waiting for the moment to strike.

 

Doggo flinched and his eyes widened. Well this was new. “Looks like the trash found a back bone.” Doggo huffed while crossing his arms over his chest.

 

“Leave the puns to me mutt.”

 

“Mutt!?” Doggo snarled and lunged at Red, teeth gnashing together in irritation.

 

The small skeleton was ready this time, he easily dodged the attack causing Doggo to smash face first into the wall, decorating the room with yet another hole.

 

Doggo took a moment to recover before turning on Red and jumping at him again. Red used his magic to materialize a short femur bone and smacked it across Doggo’s snout. “You know, your attack patters are so predictable. It’s the same move every time.”

 

The dog monster growled and rubbed his wounded maw. “I was going easy on you since I don’t want to have to deal with cleaning up your dust. But since you want to mouth off so much, I’ll just have to put you in your place!”

 

“Bring it on flea bag! I’m not taking your shit any longer!” Red called forth a row of bones to levitate all around him.

 

Doggo howled as he charged at Red. The small skeleton was quick to dodge each swing of his fists, in turn shooting a bone in the dog’s direction each time. Doggo growled and punched away the bones as they shot forth. They were much sturdier than the past bones Red had ever shot at him, but it didn’t matter. He was still bigger and stronger than the tiny bag of bones. During their rumble, both Red and Doggo ended up running into the walls and furniture of the room, tearing up the place as they fought. Shattered glass from a broken lamp and window littered the floor, making it hard to move as the two continued.

 

Doggo began to huff as he missed swing after swing. What the hell was wrong with this skeleton? Why was he so fast all the sudden?

 

Seeing Doggo slow down with exhaustion, Red found the opening he was looking for. Right as Doggo stepped on a shard of glass and flinched back, Red called forth a bone and landed it smack dab center of the dog monsters shin. Doggo yelped with pain and knelt to the floor.

 

Red held a bone right against Doggo’s cheek causing the jock to freeze his movements. Red stood tall, holding the bone steady, panting heavily from their excursion. “Now… get the hell out of my room, Doggo.” Red smiled triumphantly. For the first time ever, he actually beat Doggo.

 

He felt good.

 

No he felt more than good.

 

He felt _proud_.

 

Soft laughter could be heard from Doggo’s hunched over form causing the small skeleton to raise a brow ridge in confusion. What the hell was so funny? Doggo lost.

 

The soft laughter’s escalated to loud shouts of hysteria as Doggo’s frame shook.

 

What the hell? Had Doggo lost it?

 

“You’re such an idiot! You had the chance to kill me but you didn’t take it.” Doggo mumbled in between laughs.

 

“I don’t kill. Murder is for the lowest of the low.” Red’s sockets narrowed. It was alarming that Doggo thought that way. That victory over another meant you could take their life.

 

“Should have made the last blow when you had the chance.” Suddenly, Doggo grabbed a handful of broke shards of glass and threw them at Red.

 

Red backed away and tried to hold up the bone to shield himself but it was too late. Sharp glass cut deep lines into right cheek and left socket. Marrow quickly bubbled to the surface and dripped down the skeleton’s face.

 

Doggo wasted no time as he jumped forward and pinned Red roughly against the floor. Shards of glass stabbed into the back of Red’s skull, spine, and scapula’s. Red hissed at the stinging pain along with the added weight of Doggo pressed on top of him.

 

Doggo flexed his hand before balling it into a tight fist. “Now it’s time for useless trash like you to learn your place!” Doggo didn’t hold back as he began to throw punch after punch onto Red’s skull.

 

The small skeleton tried his hardest to focus his magic, but each punch left him dizzier and dizzier by the minute. All Red could do was hold up his hands and try to block some of the blows.

 

“Huh, what’s this?”

 

Red stilled as the punches suddenly stopped. The small skeleton chanced a glance between his hands and saw Doggo staring at him curiously. What was he looking-?

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Doggo laughed and Red was suddenly choking as he was pulled forward by his collar.

 

Oh no.

 

“A collar? Someone bothered enough to collar _you_? This is priceless!” Doggo continued to laugh as he inspected the red leather accessory.

 

Red tried to keep from shaking or showing any fear. He knew that would only encourage Doggo further. Instead he stayed absolutely quiet, hoping that Doggo would get his kicks and then walk away like he normally does after beating the crap out of him.

 

Suddenly, Doggo stopped laughing. Slowly, a wide grin began to spread across his injured snout. “Someone bothered enough to collar you… hmm. Wonder how they’ll react when their precious property gets destroyed by someone else.”

 

Red’s sockets widened.

 

Doggo smiled wide allowing his sharp canine’s to glisten. “Let’s leave a little present for them to find.”

 

Shit.

 

Red’s eye lights vanished as Doggo advanced on him, his bones beginning to shake.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized there is so much cooking in this fic. lol   
> We need to fix that. Let's switch cooking for sin in the next chapter ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> Shout out to [screamingbasement](http://screamingbasement.tumblr.com/) for beta reading o(^▽^)o  
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	16. Trouble In Motion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)  
> babypizzawonderland - [View Here](http://babypizzawonderland.tumblr.com/post/149599889407/tonight-you-lucky-people-get-a-progression-of)  
> coffeeyesman - [View Here](https://coffeeyesman.tumblr.com/post/149545985615/so-hyped-from-the-last-chapter-highly-recommend)  
> rediculous4 - [View Here](http://rediculous4.tumblr.com/post/149701515724/fan-art-for-sinnyskelles-fan-fiction-to-love)  
> bluetrashsins - [View Here](http://bluetrashsins.tumblr.com/post/150780954787/my-knights-resquing-their-damsels-in-distress)

 

Cheery out of date beats that more resembled elevator music played across the intercom of the mostly empty superstore. Inside, four skeletons wondered through the isles with two shopping carts in tow. For the most part, the shopping trip seemed to be just what every monster needed. Sans spirits looked to have risen considerably now that Papyrus was no longer watching him with worried eyes. The small skeleton couldn’t help but smile as Papyrus spoke animatedly about memories of past Halloweens when he would brave the scariest of haunted houses, emphasizing that he would only scream a few times. Papyrus had a strange way about him that always managed to pull Sans out of any funk. In no time at all Sans was laughing at the jock skeleton’s stories and sharing some of his own memories of past Halloween shenanigans. He recalled TPing people’s houses and scaring little children while they were out trick or treating. Papyrus made a face and waved a finger at Sans, chastising him on such bad behavior. Sans simply shrugged. He was a different skeleton back then. He could only wonder what things would have been like had he known Papyrus when he was younger.  

 

Sans wasn’t the only one feeling better thanks to the spur of the moment shopping trip; Blue’s attitude had improved dramatically. It was like he completely forgot about the impending night at Grilbz and completely focused on remodeling Rus’ room. His shopping cart was full of closet organizers, wall decorations, and a nice bright throw rug that would accent the new curtains perfectly. It was the perfect distraction.

 

Blue’s eyes morphed to stars as he spotted the linens isle up ahead. The small skeleton sprinted over and immediately began sifting through the colorful bed sheets and comforters. He had to find something that was bright and cheerful, but not so busy that it would keep Rus awake at night. Every item Blue had picked out had been thought over meticulously. He wanted to consider Rus’ feelings and tastes, granted he wasn’t even completely sure the lazy skeleton had any preferences… Still! He was going to do his best! He was the magnificent Blue after all, he excelled in everything; and being a good boyfriend was just one of his many talents.

 

“Ah-hah! Here we go!” Blue placed a light blue bedding set in the shopping cart right as the rest of the skeletons caught up.

 

Rus chuckled under his breath as he looked over all the items Blue had chosen. There was definitely a pattern forming. Everything was a mix of blues and oranges. It seemed the smaller skeleton was trying hard to mesh their personalities together. The thought warmed his soul a little. Blue was obviously taking their relationship very seriously. He could only hope that he wouldn’t disappoint the other skeleton.

 

“Hey I think we’re getting close to the Halloween section. Anything else you need from these isles or should we head over, mom?” Sans let his grin widen while Papyrus tried his best to keep a straight face.

 

“What?” Blue looked up from a pile of throw pillows he was looking over, his attention only halfway on the other two.

 

“I said should we head over, Blue?” Sans continued to hold his smooth demeanor while Papyrus began to fidget with his hands in an attempt not to burst out into a fit of laughter.

 

“Oh sure. I’m done here. Let’s go!” Oblivious to the two skeleton’s amusement, Blue grabbed one of the shopping carts and proceeded down towards the Halloween section of the store.

 

Rus eyed his friends suspiciously as he grabbed the second shopping cart and followed after Blue.

 

Once Rus and Blue were out of hearing range both Sans and Papyrus burst into a fit of snickering and quiet giggles, the two leaning on one another in a desperate attempt to keep from falling over with laughter.

 

After Sans and Papyrus calmed down, they quickly ran to catch up with Rus and Blue. Upon entering the Halloween section, Papyrus’s eyes lit up and the skeleton began to look around at all the decorations with awe. Sans couldn’t help but smile, Papyrus’s boundless amounts of energy and enthusiasm was contagious. The small skeleton put his hands in his pockets as he calmly strode after the other. He froze for a bit and felt his cheeks glow softly upon seeing a stack of naked plastic skeletons. Sheesh humans were such perverts around the holidays.    

 

It didn’t take long for the four of them to reach the costume isle. Both Rus and Sans watched as Papyrus and Blue frowned at the abysmal selection. Everything was either bland, boring, or an oversexualized version of the bland and boring costumes. Slowly Papyrus and Blue began sifting their way through the costumes, each one more disappointing than the last.

 

“THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE! NONE OF THESE COSTUMES ARE ORIGINAL OR CREATIVE IN ANY WAY!” Papyrus frowned as he pulled out a rather revealing maids outfit. “YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO DRESS UP AND BECOME ANYTHING YOU WANT. WHO WOULD CHOSE TO BE A DOMESTIC SANITARY WORKER?”

 

Sans eye lights vanished and his face began to glow as images of Papyrus in a maids outfit danced across his head. “Stars Paps why…” The small skeleton whispered as he gripped onto the cloth inside his pockets tightly.

 

Rus looked down at his friend and let out an amused laugh. The tall skeleton then pulled out a toothpick and placed it in between his teeth as he watched his friend suffer more while Papyrus continued to look over the maid outfit, as if seriously contemplating purchasing it. Rus would have felt bad for his friend had he not interrupted him and Blue earlier this evening. He felt this was an appropriate punishment for Sans. Karma can be a bitch.  

 

“Papyrus, what about this one?” Blue struggled a bit to get the costume off the high shelf, but when he did the skeleton revealed an incredibly skimpy nurses outfit.

 

Rus’ mouth fell open and the toothpick dropped. Images of Blue in a nurse outfit tending to him in bed burned in his skull. The tall skeleton then turned and covered his nose hole in an attempt to keep it from bleeding.

 

Papyrus sighed as he looked at both the maid outfit and the nurse’s outfit. “NO, NO, NO! THESE JUST WON’T DO… IF ONLY WE HAD COSTUMES THAT WERE AS COOL AS WE ARE.” Papyrus frowned and looked to the floor in thought.

 

“You know, we could just make our costumes.” Sans offered, his voice a little shaky as he tried to hold down his composure. Rus simply gave a thumbs up from behind.

 

“Really?! That would be so cool!” Blue’s eyes morphed to stars at the idea. He’d never had a custom made costume before.

 

“Yeah, let’s do it. Sans let’s go get the supplies right now.” Without turning around Russ sped walked out of the isle.

 

“Wait for me, buddy.” Sans was quick to bolt and follow the other skeleton, desperate to get way from his out of control imagination.

 

Once the two skeletons were gone, both Blue and Papyrus turned towards each other and gave one another knowing smirk. The two soon burst into a fit of laughter.

 

“Did you see their faces when we held up the costumes? Mweheh! That was completely worth it!” Blue had to wipe a tear that was threatening to fall from the corner of his socket. It was fun teasing Rus. Blue wasn’t oblivious, he knew part of his charm was his _innocent_ behavior, and by stars was he going to torture Rus with it later.  

 

“I WASN’T SURE HOW LONG I COULD LAST! I WAS CERTAIN I WAS GOING TO CRACK! NYEHEH!” Papyrus and Blue’s laughter simmered down to bubbly chuckles and giggles. After another knowing look the two high-fived one another before making their way to the back of the store to find the others.

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

An array of half eaten pasta and tacos were carefully placed in individual containers as Blue did his best to portion out the individual meals. He and Papyrus had both worked hard on their dishes, so he felt mixing the two masterpieces for leftovers would create a diverse lunch for the next day. Right as Blue packed away the last of the leftovers, he heard Papyrus hum with excitement at the sink. The taller skeleton set the last dish up to dry on the drying rack right before setting his hands on his hips.

 

“THERE, ALL CLEAN!” Papyrus grabbed a spare towel and began to dry off his hands, making sure to get in between each groove and joint.

 

“Thanks for the help Papyrus.” Blue smiled, grateful that he found a friend who was just as concerned with cleanliness as he was.

 

“YOU’RE QUITE WELCOME. THOUGH I’M SURE CLEANING WOULD HAVE GONE BY FASTER IF A CERTAIN PAIR OF LAZYBONES HAD HELPED OUT…” Papyrus said loud enough to be heard in the living room where Sans and Rus sat. His voice held an obvious teasing tone to it. He knew very well that Rus and Sans were doing their fair share of work.  

 

“Hey, we’re busy ourselves. Not our fault you guys don’t know how to do this stuff.” Rus took a drag of a newly lit cigarette before going back to work on the crafting foam in front of him. The tall skeleton was careful in cutting out the armor patterns with a sharpened box cutter. He glanced over at the designs occasionally to make sure he was on track with the costume.

 

Pinned up on the wall were two intricate costume designs. Papyrus and Blue both agreed that in order to get a costume that was as cool as they were, they would have to make one. Unfortunately neither skeleton had any experience in making costumes. Both Papyrus and Blue had become discouraged with the daunting task of learning to craft and sew in the short time before Halloween. It only took a few sad looks and pouts before Sans and Rus caved, offering to make the costumes for them.

 

Sans and Rus immediately went into science mode, listening carefully to the two skeleton’s gush about their ideas and quickly jotting down notes as the others spoke. Papyrus wanted something heroic and dashing, yet still offered a lot of flexibility and movement. While Blue on the other hand wanted something eye catching and memorable, yet still comfortable enough that he wouldn’t be bothered by wearing it all night. The costumes were dubbed their “Battle Body Armor”. Blue and Papyrus then picked out the color scheme and the rest was up to Rus and Sans.

 

Blue made his way over towards the other skeletons in the living room and sat next to Rus who was now heating the foam and molding the material to a more realistic shape. “Wowzers, where did you learn to do that?” Blue was fascinated by Rus’ concentration. It was like there were two completely different sides to the skeleton. One lazy and relaxed, and one driven and focused. He was honestly impressed.

 

“We use this stuff to make models of experiments before we actually start engineering them.” Rus explained while he placed the foam armor up to Blue’s shoulder and measured if he needed to bend it further.

 

“I thought you guys just solved equations.” Blue felt a little overwhelmed by Rus’ talents. It was easy to just see the skeleton as a lazy student, but the reality of the fact was Rus was actually an intelligent scientist. Blue felt his cheeks glow softly with embarrassment. There was so much to Rus he didn’t know about. He was starting to realize how little he actually knew about his boyfriend.

 

Rus looked down ready to say more when he saw the shy look on Blue’s face. **_‘Stars this skeleton is so cute… and he’s all mine._** ’ Rus couldn’t help but smile at the thought. Without even realizing it, Rus removed the cigarette from his teeth and leaned down and planed a soft skeleton kiss to the top of Blue’s head with a little clank.

 

Blue’s cheeks began to glow brighter as his soul fluttered in his chest. It’s true he didn’t know a lot about Rus, but that only meant he would have to spend more time with the skeleton to learn more about him. It would be a fun adventure, and he was looking forward to it. Blue smiled up at Rus and grabbed onto his arm as he nuzzled into the cloth of the other’s hoodie. The cloth didn’t smell as heavily of honey and cigarettes as Rus’ other hoodie had, but it was only a matter of time till the taller skeleton would break this hoodie in. Blue smiled to himself remembering that Rus’ old hoodie was stashed away under his pillow at home.

 

Papyrus soon joined the others as he made his way to Sans side, sitting down next to the smaller skeleton. He watched with curious eyes as Sans skillfully sewed together a pair of bright red gloves. They looked like gloves a super hero would wear. “SANS I DIDN’T KNOW YOU KNEW HOW TO SEW!”

 

Sans huffed in amusement and stretched out his legs. He then pointed to the hem of his jeans with the tip of the sewing needle. “Kind of had to learn, ya know?” Sans then looked to the side, a little embarrassment marked on his skull. “It was either learn to hem up clothes or shop in the kids section.”

 

Blue looked down at his own clothes quietly. He understood Sans predicament quite well. He was incredibly grateful for having Fell in his life, his friend being the one to always tailor his clothes for him.

 

Papyrus noticed the way Sans looked off to the side. He could tell the other skeleton was embarrassed, but he didn’t understand why. He didn’t care about the other’s height. Well, okay maybe a little. He cared only because he genuinely thought it made Sans that much more attractive. Papyrus smiled brightly as he reached over and pulled Sans into his lap, the smaller skeleton yelping in surprise. “I LIKE YOU JUST THE WAY YOU ARE! YOU FIT SO PERFECTLY IN MY HUGS!”

 

Sans felt his face light up and he tried to duck his skull in embarrassment. He could just feel Rus’ smug smile from across the room.

 

The rest of the evening continued on with Rus and Sans working while Papyrus and Blue chatted animatedly about anything and everything. Sans smiled as he worked listening to Papyrus talk about his classes and his football practice, the jock skeleton excitedly announcing how the team hadn’t lost a single game yet. Blue chimed in with Papyrus’s excitement, promising to be there for the next at home football game. Rus smiled at the idea. It would be interesting to see how Blue reacts in environments outside of school and their apartments.

 

Rus’ paint strokes across the freshly molded foam armor slowed to a standstill as he thought about his relationship with Blue and how he really hadn’t seen the other skeleton outside of school or their apartments. With a quiet stare, Rus watched Blue wave his hands with excitement as he talked about going to football games during his time in college. The tall skeleton turned his head and stared absentmindedly at the TV which was turned on to a random channel for background noise. He and Blue had dates at home, but were those really proper dates? Rus frowned as he realized he had yet to formally take Blue out. Turning his attention back on the smaller skeleton next to him, Rus wondered if this was an issue for Blue. Had the other skeleton felt the lack of actual dates to be a problem with their relationship? He knew Blue had high standards for relationships; he wanted passion and romance and the perfect fairy tale love that you would see in cheesy romantic comedies. Rus continued to paint the armor with less confident strokes. Was he really good boyfriend material?

 

After a few more hours of crafting, painting, and sewing, the two costumes were declared finished. Sans and Rus flopped onto the couch in exhaustion. That had been the most effort they had put into anything outside of school work. Rus and Sans sat alone on the couch in the living room as the other two occupied the bedrooms to change and try on the costumes.

 

“Tell me again why we agreed to make the costumes?” Rus sighed as he let his head drop against the back of the couch. He felt his phalanges tingle from holding the box cutter so tightly. He wanted to make sure the armor was crafted to look authentic, taking special care to include all the little details. The meticulous work leaving his bones sore.

 

“Because we’re suckers and we can’t say no to their puppy dog eyes.” Sans stretched out across the couch, placing his feet on Rus’ lap. He kept his sockets closed with an arm draped over for good measure. He had spent hours staring at cloth intensely making sure his stitching was smooth and seamless. Small holes littered his fingertips, marks from where he had stabbed himself with the needle. Sans made sure to hide his hands from Papyrus’s sight once he was finished. The last thing he wanted was for Papyrus to worry about him yet again.

 

“WELL, WHAT DO YOU THINK?”

 

Sans raised his arm and looked over at the direction of Papyrus’s voice. His sockets immediately widened. “Woah Paps…”

 

Papyrus stood a little taller seeing Sans shocked expression. He placed one hand on his hip and posed heroically. Sans couldn’t help but marvel at how well Papyrus wore his costume. The custom armor top and shoulder pads kind of reminded him of Papyrus’s football gear, except this top was white with gold trim on the sleeves. He had bright red gloves and matching boots that looked like something straight out of a comic book. His Red scarf was wrapped around him in a way that looked almost like a cape, which was somehow billowing in nonexistent wind. Sans held back a chuckle as he realized Papyrus must be using his magic for extra dramatic effect. The whole ensemble was placed over a black body morph suit that hugged each and every bone so delicately. Sans blushed as he suddenly realized just how revealing the costume really was, his eye lights trailing down to the small blue short shorts that hugged Papyrus’s pelvis just so.

 

“WELL…? HOW DO I LOOK…?” After the long silent stare from Sans, Papyrus shifted from his confident pose to a nervous stance, his old habit of wringing his hands returning full force.

 

Upon seeing Papyrus begin to fidget, Sans mentally shook his shock away as he focused back on the jock skeleton. “You look really cool, Paps.” Sans smiled. Honestly he looked more than cool. He looked down right sexy. But there was no way he was going to ravish Papyrus with Rus sitting in the room.

 

Papyrus immediately lit up as he clasped his hands on his cheeks. “REALLY!?” Being called cool by Sans was probably the biggest praise he could think of.

 

“Wowzers! You look great Papyrus!”

 

Rus lifted his head from his slumped position and turned around spotting Blue next to the couch. He felt his cheeks begin to glow as he looked at the finished costume on the smaller skeleton. Blue looked absolutely adorable in his blue bandanna with matching gloves and boots. The small skeleton opted for a more conservative look with dark blue pants and a grey shirt. But what really pulled the look off was the detailed armor that hung off his shoulders, the trim tinted a bright cyan that matched the skeleton’s magic. Rus loved the look, it matched Blue’s energetic personality perfectly.

 

“Oh wait Blue, one last piece.” Sans stood and walked over to the other skeleton. After fiddling with Blue’s bandanna, Sans stepped away revealing a bright gold star pinned to the blue accessory.

 

Rus chuckled as Blue’s eyes morphed to stars themselves, matching the pin on his bandanna. Now the outfit was truly perfect.

 

Blue then turned to Rus with a shy smile, suddenly worried that his outfit might not be as great as he thought it would be. “What do you think, Rus?”

 

Rus was quiet for a while pondering his options. After a moment of contemplation the tall skeleton let a wide easy grin onto his face. “You look magnificent.”

 

Blue let out a small squeal of delight that he hoped none of the others heard.

 

 ** _‘Too cute…’_** Rus mused in his head after hearing the quiet squeal.

 

“BUT WAIT A MOMENT, WHAT WILL YOU AND SANS BE WEARING FOR HALLOWEEN?” Papyrus looked at Rus and Sans with a worried expression.

 

“Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Sans and I will figure something out.” Russ shrugged while Sans gave a lazy thumbs up.

 

“I suppose so… Well I guess we should all head to bed then. Big day tomorrow.” Blue tried to sound enthusiastic, but the realization that Halloween was quickly approaching only caused the small skeleton to panic once again. In no time at all, they were all going to go to Grilbz, and Blue was going to have to face a packed club half full of humans…

 

“INDEED, GOODNIGHT EVERYONE!” Papyrus waved to the others as they retreated into Rus’ room while he carefully watched Sans from the corner of his eye. He hadn’t forgotten about the incident in class earlier today. Would now be a good time to talk about things?

 

One look at the smaller skeleton and Papyrus could see that Sans was exhausted. Papyrus sighed internally as he followed Sans into the bedroom. Maybe he should try and let the other get some rest first. Sans might actually sleep through the night. He smiled softly as Sans got the bed ready for them, taking care to put out Papyrus’s favorite blanket. They could talk tomorrow. Tonight, he was going to hold Sans as tight as he could in hopes it would help the other enough to get some restful sleep.

 

_________________________________________________________

 

Blue sighed contently and relaxed into bed with Rus. A smile spread across his skull as he looked around the newly redecorated room. Everything was bright yet warm in a way that gave off a comforting homey feel to the room. Blue felt accomplished. He was sure the changes to the room would make Rus feel better. Changing your surroundings and immersing one’s self in positive environments were great ways to improving ones disposition. Blue nodded to himself mentally as he ran over other psych ideas in his head, noting other things he could do for Rus. The small skeleton’s thoughts were cut off as he felt an arm slip around him. Blue couldn’t stop the faint dusting of magic that began to glow on his cheeks as Rus curled up close behind him. He could feel the taller skeleton’s rib cage pressed against his spine, the soft hum of the other’s soul warming every bone that made contact.

 

Slowly, Blue’s sockets fluttered closed as he allowed himself to relax in Rus’ hold, the sounds of the other skeleton’s even breathing helping to lull him to sleep.

 

Right as Blue felt himself tipping into a deep sleep, a faint *blip* sound could be heard outside the room.

 

Had Sans teleported? No that couldn’t be. He was sure the other skeleton was asleep in his room with Papyrus.

 

Blue’s sockets opened back up as he heard the soft squeaking of Rus’ door opening, temporary blinding light filling the room as the lights were turned on.

 

“Oh shit! I’m so s-sorry! I d-didn’t mean to i-interrupt…”

 

“Red?” Blue sat up and rubbed his sockets clear in time to see the small skeleton turn around and head back towards the door. What on earth was Red doing here in the middle of the night?

 

“What’s going on?” Rus yawned as sat up straight, his focus immediately honing in on his friend who was trying to leave the room. “Red wait.”

 

“I’m s-sorry! I didn’t see a-anything! I didn’t mean to barge in!” Red was facing the door, his hands covering his sockets.

 

“Red calm down, we weren’t doing anything, we were just sleeping.” Rus yawned again as he tried to wake himself up further.

 

His mind quickly caught up with the situation as he noticed Red’s trembling frame. Something wasn’t right. While Sans and Rus both agreed to always let Red come over whenever he wanted, the other skeleton would almost never show up unannounced. Their friend was always worried about being a burden on the others, either texting or calling first to see if it was okay for him to come over. “Red, is something wrong?”

 

“It’s n-nothing… You’re busy, I’m sorry I w-woke you.” Red reached for the door ready to bolt.

 

“Red wait! Turn around…” Rus’ voice dropped, his tone not leaving any room for debate. He wasn’t going to let Red leave now that his suspicions were high.

 

Blue glanced up at Rus curiously. He felt like there was something about this situation that he was missing.

 

Red sighed and dropped his hand from the doorknob back to his side. Slowly, the small skeleton turned around, his arm instinctively wrapping around himself in an attempt to keep from shaking.

 

Rus immediately frowned upon seeing Red’s state. Deep cuts lined the smaller skeleton’s skull allowing marrow to leak through. The school uniform Red wore was tattered and in shreds, red marrow staining the once soft cream colored sweater. The ruined clothes looked wet and clung to Red’s trembling frame. It was then that Rus could distinctly smell the stench of dog piss wafting from the other skeleton. The most disturbing part of the whole scene was Red’s broken clavicle which sported deep bite marks. “Oh Red… Did he do this to you…?” Rus tried his best to keep the venom out of his voice. He already knew the answer to the question, but he still had to ask.

 

Red flinched at the question, his eye lights focusing on anything except Rus’ face. After a moment of silence, the smaller skeleton sighed and slowly nodded his head.

 

Blue felt his marrow freeze in his bones. He? Who was he? They couldn’t mean…

 

Rus sighed as he tried to calm is anger. There was no point in lashing out at Doggo when he wasn’t even here. Right now, he needed to be there for his friend. “Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.” Rus quickly got out of bed and carefully led his friend out of the room and to the bathroom.

 

Blue sat still in bed, shock keeping him from moving or even breathing. Rus and Red couldn’t possibly have been referring to Fell, could they? He knew Fell was into rough sex, but he never imagined it was _that_ rough. When they had dated, there were things Fell asked Blue to try that honestly scared him half to death. He had refused, worried that he would get hurt trying the things Fell wanted to do. Was this the kind of sex Fell was looking for? Had he hurt Red!?

 

Before Blue even realized what he was doing, he had grabbed his phone off the night stand and his finger had pressed the call button for Fell’s contact. His bones shook as he held the phone up to his skull, listening to the phone ringing. He needed to know. He needed to hear from Fell if he had hurt Red.

 

There was a click indicating the line had been picked up followed by a long, heavy sigh.

 

“Blue do you have any idea how late it is?”

 

“Fell, please tell me you didn’t do it!” Blue couldn’t stop the panic from seeping through his voice. He knew he wasn’t making any sense, but he couldn’t calm down enough to formulate any other questions.

 

“Tell you I didn’t do what? What the hell are you talking about?”

 

“Tell me you didn’t hurt Red!” Blue almost sounded panicked at this point. He wanted Fell to deny everything. He wanted Fell to scream at him for being a moron. He couldn’t stand thinking his best friend had hurt a student so badly.

 

There was a long pause from Fell, the silence only making Blue’s soul race faster. Stars no. Please deny it. Deny it.

 

“Red’s hurt?”

 

The question caught Blue off guard. Wait… Fell didn’t even know? So it was possible Fell had nothing to do with Red’s injuries. “Yeah… You didn’t know? I thought he was with you at all times… So I figured you…”

 

“I haven’t seen Red since class this morning. He vanished before I could take him home.”

 

Blue wasn’t completely sure, but it sounded like there was a hint of pain in Fell’s voice. Regardless, Blue couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief wash over him. Fell hadn’t hurt red. But now the question was, who did?  

 

“Blue, what happened?” Fells voice was dangerously low. The tone no longer held any hint of pain, only anger.

 

The drastic change in his friend’s behavior caused Blue to jump slightly. Stars he forgot how scary Fell could be. “I-I don’t know. He just showed up at Rus’ place all banged up…” Blue began to feel guilt well up in him. How could he think Fell would do something like this? Why was his first instinct to accuse his best friend? He knew better, he knew Fell better. “Fell… I’m sorry I thought it was you who…”

 

“It’s alright. You were scared and worried about Red.” Fell’s voice was much softer this time.

 

“Heh, yeah I guess you’re right.” Blue scratched his cheek feeling a little embarrassed for over reacting.

 

“You’ve come a long way from being jealous of him.” Blue could hear the chuckling behind Fell’s breath. The teasing only causing the small skeleton to blush with further embarrassment. “Blue?”

 

“Yes, Fell?”

 

“Where does Rus live?”

 

_________________________________________________________

 

“There we go, all wrapped up.” Rus smiled as he placed the last strip of gauze around Red’s now fixed clavicle. He watched as Red clung to the bath towel tighter and a weary smile spread across his skull. He could her the silent gratification in the small gesture. After Red took a shower, Rus was finally able to get a good look at the damage. He was pleased to see there was only one broken bone and the rest of the injuries were just small cuts. Luckily he had enough healing magic to take care of the injuries. But unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about the bite marks on the smaller skeleton’s clavicle. Doggo wasn’t good with magic, but what little magic the dog monster had, he had used it in that one bite. Rus had tried to smooth out the bone, but the marks weren’t going anywhere. Rus couldn’t help but feel bad for Red. He would have a permanent scar to remind himself of Doggo for the rest of his life.

 

Rus was doing his best to hold back his anger. He wanted Doggo to pay, but he already knew the school would protect their star quarterback if anything were to happen. Rus was completely powerless in this situation.

 

“Thanks Rus… So… should I borrow some of Sans clothes?” Red looked away feeling a little vulnerable that he was sitting in front of Rus in only a towel.

 

“Oh uh…” Rus looked around the bathroom expectantly, but couldn’t find any of Sans clothes anywhere. Damn it that’s right, Papyrus had cleaned up earlier. The one time he would have liked the apartment to be dirty. “Come on, I’ll lend you something of mine. Besides, it’s probably best you wear a baggy v-neck or something. I don’t want any tight shirts rubbing on your bandage.”

 

Red instinctively reached up and placed a gentle hand on the gauze covering his clavicle. Rus was probably right. The other skeleton had fused the bone back together, but the wound was still incredibly sensitive. One of his or Sans shirts would definitely agitate it.

 

Rus led Red back into his bedroom and began searching through his closet. The tall skeleton was pleased to discover thanks to Blue’s closet organizers, it made looking for clothes so much easier. Red felt his cheek bones begin to glow when he realized Blue was still in the room. The small skeleton tried hiding behind the door, holding the towel tighter against himself.  

 

“Here you go.” Rus handed Red a large deep cut white sweater and grey sweat pants.

 

Red took the clothes and smiled gratefully, his eye lights slowly trailing down to the floor, unable to look Rus in the face any longer. “Thanks Rus… a-and I’m sorry a-about all this… w-waking you up and troubling you a-and all…”

 

“Red, we’re your friends. We’re here to help. You’re not troubling us.” Rus felt his soul tighten in his chest as he watched Red shrink in on himself. He watched his friend come more out of his shell in the past few months than he had seen the other skeleton do all last year. It was painful to watch Red revert back to his nervous, shy behavior. He wanted to help, but he didn’t know what to do or say that would make the situation any better.

 

Red chuckled under his breath humorlessly, his gaze still hard set on the ground. “I thought I actually beat him for once… I thought… just for a moment… I wasn’t useless…” Red whispered quietly more to himself than to anyone in the room.

 

Blue felt his soul ache for the student. He wanted to jump up and hug Red as tight as he could and tell him everything was going to be okay, that he wasn’t useless, but he knew they didn’t have that kind of relationship. It felt like just yesterday Blue held jealousy and hatred for the small punk looking skeleton. Looking back at his past behavior now, Blue felt ashamed of himself. This was probably why Rus was so protective of Red. Rus could see Red’s pain better than anyone.

 

Rus took a step forward, ready to envelop the small skeleton in a hug, but Red stepped back. Rus stayed still as he watched Red tense up and shrink in on himself further. It was clear the other skeleton did not want to be touched right now. The taller skeleton couldn’t help but wonder if all Doggo did was attack Red… Rus then took a deep breath and forced a comforting smile to his face. As much as he wanted to physically comfort Red, he would resist. He would respect Red’s wishes for space.

 

“I’m g-gonna go change…” Red quickly left Rus’ room and closed the door to the bathroom, giving himself as much space from the others as possible.

 

Once Red had left the room Blue looked up at Rus and watched as the taller skeleton sighed, a hand coming up to rub at the back of his vertebra. “You okay, Rus?” Blue’s voice was soft. He could tell Rus was stressed out.

 

“Yeah, I’m okay… I just wish there was something we could do.”

 

“Well… I mean who did this? If it was another student we should report it to the school and have them expelled!” Blue exclaimed. There was no way he was going to allow such violence. As a professor it was his job to report something like this, to keep all students safe.

 

Rus laughed mirthlessly and turned to face Blue. He watched as confusion morphed onto his once determined expression. “The school won’t do anything about the guy who attacked Red. We’ve tried reporting him. He’s untouchable. The school is protecting him.”

 

“That’s impossible! This school holds itself to the highest moral standards!”

 

“I’m not so sure about that…” Rus glanced off to the side in thought.

 

“Rus give me a name! I’ll march up to the dean’s office myself and-“

 

“You’re not getting involved with this.” Rus shut Blue down quickly. The school had threatened to expel both Sans and him for fighting the system trying to get Doggo held accountable for his actions. Rus wasn’t sure how far the school would go, but he had a feeling they might even risk Blue’s job if need be.

  

Right before Blue could argue back, there was a loud pounding knock on the front door.

 

Rus looked at Blue with a confused look and saw the other skeleton turn away, guilt riddling his expression. Did Blue call the cops? Shit. This was going to make things messy and difficult.

 

More insistent pounding on the front door prompted Rus to move from his spot. He walked in the living room just in time to see Red exit the bathroom. Red gave Rus a questioning look as he glanced between the taller skeleton and the front door. Rus could tell Red was probably thinking the same thing. Cops. The smaller skeleton looked as though he was ready to teleport and run. The school had made it clear that if Red caused any more trouble his scholarship would be gone.

 

Blue soon exited the bedroom to watch, but kept his distance.

 

“WHO IS MAKING THAT INSUFFERABLE POUNDING?” Papyrus poked his head out of Sans room. He wasn’t sure what was going on, but stars was he was angry. Sans had finally gone to sleep. Actual sleep with no nightmares. Whoever was causing that noise threatening to wake the other skeleton needed to stop right this instant. After a quick look around the room, Papyrus was surprised to spot Red standing in the living room. “OH HELLO RED! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?” It didn’t take long for Papyrus to notice the tense atmosphere among the rest of the monsters. Something was going on…

 

The pounding on the door increased in volume causing both Red and Papyrus to jump.

 

“Paps?” Sans called tiredly from his room.

 

The jock skeleton smacked a bony hand to his skull. Drats, Sans was awake now.

 

“I’m coming, hold on.” Rus grumbled and walked forward. He threw open the front door not waiting for any more pounding. Right as he was about to confront the officers, his voice stopped in his throat.

 

There in the doorway stood Fell. The other skeleton looked completely different from the normal professor appearance that was expected of him. The literature professor stood tall dressed in a black leather jacket with tight, dark pants. Studs lined the collar of the jacket and the belt that hung on his hips. The ensemble only added to Fell’s already scary expression. The tall skeleton looked as though he was ready to murder someone. Rus guessed that he probably wasn’t too far off.

 

Fell eyed Rus with a harsh glare as he stood his ground in the doorway. “Where is Red?” He spoke, his voice dangerously low.

 

Rus turned around and saw Blue smile apologetically as he stood next to Red.

 

Red’s sockets widened as his eyes locked with Fell’s. Oh no, Fell looked pissed. Red felt his bones begin to shake as Fell stepped past Rus and entered the apartment, the whole time not taking his eyes off of the nervous skeleton.

 

**_‘Shit… I’m in trouble…’_ **

****

Red recalled what Fell had requested he do any time he was in trouble. Fell wanted Red to come to him first, yet Red had gone out of his way to avoid the other skeleton today. He was sure Fell was angry with him. How many times had he inconvenienced his professor now? First the fire, now this. Red shut his eyes and tried to brace himself. Fell would hit him. No Fell _should_ hit him. He deserved it. All he did was cause trouble for the other skeleton. For all his friends too. He was constantly getting hurt, his big mouth always getting him into trouble. Why did he think even for a second that he stood any chance against Doggo? Doggo was right, he was a weak, pathetic one HP monster. Why couldn’t he listen and learn his place? Why did he have to try and fight back? Red felt tears gather at the corner of his sockets, all his failures piling on him in that moment, his frustration teetering to a boiling point. His hands balled into tight fists, shaking at his sides as he tried to hold back the anger he held for himself.

 

“Red… are you alright?”

 

Red snapped his sockets open to the soft tone in Fell’s voice. He saw the taller skeleton kneeling in front of him, deep worry and concern creasing his bones.

 

Red wanted to speak, but his voice wasn’t working. His throat clenched painfully and burned with the tears he held back. **_‘Hit me. Hate me. Do something!’_**

****

Slowly, Fell reached out and cupped Red’s face, his phalanges gently running across the warm residual magic that had healed the cuts that once slashed across the smaller skeleton’s skull. Fell didn’t say a word as he stared at Red, watching the other skeleton slowly crumble under his gaze.

 

 ** _‘Stop looking at me like that... Stop being gentle... I don’t deserve it…’_** Red’s bones began to click against one another, his shaking increasing uncontrollably.

 

Fell’s other hand slowly slid up Red’s arm, the sharp fingertips uncharacteristically gentle as they traced along the battered bones.

 

 ** _‘Hate me, yell at me!’_** Red wanted to scream but instead his teeth ground together in attempt to cover the small whimper that worked up his throat.

 

Fell’s eyes moved only for a second to glance at the bandage around Red’s clavicle. He could easily sense the presence of someone else’s magic, someone other than Rus, and it was not healing magic… As soon as Fell looked up he saw Red looking back, his sockets widening. The smaller skeleton knew that Fell had pieced together everything. Before Red could completely fall apart, Fell quickly pulled the smaller skeleton into a tight embrace. He wrapped his long arms protectively around Red allowing his pet to quietly sob against his sternum. Fell was sure to lean over Red, guarding him from the other skeleton’s curious glances. Fell could tell something happened to Red, something that had shaken the other skeleton to his core. He knew his pet didn’t want to be seen in his most weak and vulnerable state, so he did his best to try and shield Red from the others.

 

Fell did his best to keep his calm composure. Someone had hurt his pet. He had failed _yet again_ to keep Red safe. He wanted to scream, to lash out, to dust who ever dared lay a single finger on his Red. Magic bristled as his fingertips, his emotions getting away from him. Fell had to take a few long breaths to calm his aggravated magic. He would not lose his control in front of Red. Not now.

 

Fell looked up at Blue as he continued to hold Red protectively, the small skeleton slowly calming down from his break down. “I’m taking Red home with me.” In one easy motion, Fell stood back to his full height, bringing Red with him. The small trembling skeleton instinctively wrapped his arms and legs around Fell, allowing the taller skeleton to carry him.

 

Rus flinched and stepped forward, ready to grab his friend from the other skeleton’s hold. “Wait a minute-“

 

“Sure thing, Fell. Please call us later to let us know Red is okay?” Blue cut Rus off and quickly stood in front of his boyfriend. Red must not have talked to his friends about Fell. It was up to him to help fill Rus in on the details. There was no way Fell would take Rus intervening with his pet lightly. He had to defuse the situation now. Blue mentally pleaded for Rus not to make any more of a scene or else Fell might turn on the lazy skeleton. Blue could tell Fell was already angry enough as is, any more provocation and he might explode. He was sure now that Fell would take good care of Red. Being with Fell was the best place for the hurt skeleton right now.

 

Luckily enough Rus didn’t argue with Blue. He stayed behind the small skeleton, but still kept his eyes focused on Red.

 

Fell nodded to Blue before turning and heading out the apartment, the door slamming shut behind him.

 

“WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” Papyrus asked with a confused Sans standing at his side, the small skeleton holding onto his hand.

 

Sans glanced up at Rus with a worried expression, his tired mind making it hard to piece together the incident that just unraveled before him.

 

Rus crossed his arms and gave a pointed look towards Blue causing his small lover to laugh nervously and rub the back of his skull.  

 

Blue sighed. “Uhh I suppose I should explain...”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are starting to fall into place. ╰(✧∇✧)╯  
> I'm trying so hard to pace the story and not jump ahead. lol
> 
> Shout out to [screamingbasement](http://screamingbasement.tumblr.com/) for beta reading o(^▽^)o  
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	17. The Truth Comes Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)  
> babypizzawonderland - [View Here](http://babypizzawonderland.tumblr.com/post/149599889407/tonight-you-lucky-people-get-a-progression-of)  
> coffeeyesman - [View Here](https://coffeeyesman.tumblr.com/post/149545985615/so-hyped-from-the-last-chapter-highly-recommend)  
> rediculous4 - [View Here](http://rediculous4.tumblr.com/post/149701515724/fan-art-for-sinnyskelles-fan-fiction-to-love) & [View Here](http://rediculous4.tumblr.com/post/151611976384/another-fanart-piece-for-sinnyskelles-to-love)  
> bluetrashsins - [View Here](http://bluetrashsins.tumblr.com/post/150780954787/my-knights-resquing-their-damsels-in-distress)
> 
>  
> 
> Sorry everyone about the wait. Due to health reasons updates may be a bit slower from now on. I'll still do my best to get updates out as fast as possible, but I do ask that you be patient with me in the meantime. I don't plan on dropping this fic, it will continue till the end. So if an update is taking a while, be assured that I haven't forgotten about the story, and that I'm working on it. (￣▽￣)ノ☆
> 
> But on a positive note, this chapter clocks in roughly about 13,000 words, so hopefully that makes up for the wait.  
> lol Have fun with that.

 

All eyes in the room landed on the small nervous skeleton who was shrinking in on himself the longer the stares continued. Blue knew he had to say something to ease the tension and clam the students down. One wrong word and he was sure Rus would go running out the door after Fell, and that would not end well. After steeling himself and calming his own nerves Blue cleared his throat, ready to speak to the others. “Well uh… as you all could probably put together… That was Professor Fell.”

 

“PROFESSOR FELL, RED’S LITERATURE TEACHER?” Papyrus questioned as his mind began to fill in all the blanks. Sure he was friends with all the skeletons, but Red had always remained somewhat of a mystery. It was as if Sans and Rus were keeping things from Papyrus about the small nervous skeleton on purpose. Most of what Papyrus learned about Red was through careful observation.

 

Both Sans and Rus turned to towards Papyrus with a shocked expression. Literature teacher? Red was taking literature classes? How did Papyrus know that and not them?

 

“Paps, how do you know about Red’s literature class?” Sans looked up at the jock skeleton with widened sockets. This whole ordeal had him completely awake at this point.

 

“I’VE SEEN RED GO IN AND OUT OF THE LITERATURE BUILDING. SOMETIMES WITH PROFESSOR FELL. HONESTLY SANS HOW HAVE YOU NOT NOTICED? THE LITERATURE BUILDING IS RIGHT NEXT TO THE CULINARY BUILDING.” Papyrus placed his hands on his hips and gave the smaller skeleton a stern look. Surely he hadn’t been the only one to notice. He figured it was just another secret Sans and Rus kept from him for Red’s sake. After all, Red seemed like the kind of monster who was worried about his tough appearance. It made sense that Red would want to keep his love for the arts a secret.  

 

Sans felt a soft dusting of light blue spread across his cheeks. He avoided Papyrus’s glare as he looked away nervously. Stars this was embarrassing! Papyrus was more vigilant about Red than he was. And they had been friends longer!

 

“Blue… Fell isn’t just Red’s professor is he?” Rus intervened causing the room to go quiet as all attention turned towards the lazy skeleton. The taller skeleton kept his face impassive as memories of Red crying, clinging onto his collar as he watched Fell and Blue walk by hand in hand flashed through his mind. He knew the answer to the question already, he just wanted to hear it from Blue. Rus recalled the way he gripped onto Red’s hand, both skeleton’s using each other for comfort as their worlds crashed around them. Rus knew in that moment who Fell was to Red.

 

Blue looked to the ground and began to fidget with the buttons to his starry pajama shirt. This was starting to get personal. Blue honestly wasn’t sure how to answer Rus. Of course he knew Red was much more than a student to Fell, but he wasn’t exactly sure how to explain their situation to the other skeletons. How would Rus and Sans take it? They were so protective of their friend, how could he possibly tell them that Red was essentially a sex toy to the other professor?

 

“Does Red and Fell have the same relationship as you and Rus?” Sans stepped in once he figured Blue was too uncomfortable to answer Rus’ question directly.

 

“Uh well, yes and no…” Blue began to fidget with the buttons to his pajama top more roughly. Any more uncomfortable questions and he was sure he’d rip off a button and send it flying across the room.

 

“OH! SO THEY JUST HAVEN’T EXPRESSED THEIR FEELINGS FOR EACH OTHER YET! JUST LIKE IT TOOK YOU AND RUS QUITE SOME TIME TO OPEN UP!” Papyrus held up a finger as he rationalized Blue’s response. 

 

This of course caused Rus and Blue to flinch and blush their respective colors. Had it really been that obvious to literally everyone else except them?

 

“If that’s the case, then there’s no need to worry. Fell is most likely the best person for Red to be with at the moment.” Sans wasn’t happy with the fact that he couldn’t do anything for his friend, but he was grateful that there was at least someone in Red’s life that cared about the small skeleton as much as they did.

 

“I AGREE! IN FACT, I THINK WE SHOULD ALL GET TOGETHER SOMETIME AND GET TO KNOW RED’S NEW CRUSH!” Papyrus beamed at the idea. It was perfect! With Blue officially dating Rus it had left Red out as a sort of fifth wheel. Now that Red had a soon-to-be-boyfriend of his own, the six of them could all hang out together and no one would feel left out!

 

Blue felt a sheen of sweat drip down his skull at Papyrus’s proposal. There was no way Fell would agree to go out on essentially a triple date with all of them. This situation was becoming hopelessly out of control. Fell didn’t do relationships, or romance, or affection of any sort for that matter.

 

But then again…

 

Blue recalled the way Fell had rushed in and hugged Red tightly, almost as if he was using his whole body to calm the distressed skeleton. It was honestly the first time he had ever seen Fell show affection towards anyone other than… well, him. Blue began to ponder for a while as he went over the most recent events. Fell had looked so worried and concerned for Red, his anger had melted away the second he laid eyes on his upset student. Fell looked almost… gentle with Red.

 

Blue quickly shook the thoughts from his head. Fell was just being a good master taking care of his pet. There was no way Fell would be interested in any sort of romantic arrangement with Red. It was purely sexual. Just like they had been, just like his other pets had been. Red is no different.

 

“I guess now that everything’s settled we should all head back to bed.” Sans announced as he let out a long yawn. The small skeleton then stretched allowing his joints to pop every which way. For some unforeseen reason he was actually getting restful sleep tonight. He could only hope that once he went back to bed his good luck would continue.

 

Papyrus seemed all too eager to comply.

 

Without another word, Papyrus picked Sans up into his arms and carried the other skeleton back to their room. Sans of course made a small startled noise but otherwise didn’t complain. He knew Papyrus had been worried about him and had been low key watching him all night. Stars he hadn’t even said goodnight to Rus and Blue. It seemed the jock skeleton was eager to get them both to bed. He honestly couldn’t blame him. This whole ordeal had caused Sans to lose sleep, so he was just as eager to get some much needed rest, which would hopefully in turn calm Papyrus’s nerves.

 

Rus waited for his friends to leave, making sure he heard the door to Sans room shut before turning to Blue who stood quietly beside him.

 

“So… How exactly do you know Fell?” Rus had a pretty strong suspicion that Blue and Fell were more than colleagues, but he didn’t want to jump to any conclusions without discussing it with Blue.

 

But if that was the case, he wanted to know what kind of person Red was getting involved with.

 

Blue’s cheeks began to glow a soft hue as he averted Rus’ gaze. He knew it was important for relationships that both people involved were honest with each other, but he wasn’t exactly prepared to discuss his past relationships with Rus. Wasn’t it too early for something like this? Would it be off-putting? Would Rus get mad? Blue chanced a look towards Rus and saw his boyfriend staring patiently at him, his posture relaxed, no hint of anger or judgment on his half lidded sockets. Blue sighed and felt a smile spread across his skull. What was he worried about? Rus was the most relaxed monster he knew. He could trust his boyfriend to handle the information responsibly.

 

“Fell is my best friend. We met in college, then both ended up working at the same school. So now we’re colleagues. And he’s… well, he’s also my ex...” Blue felt the confidence drain from him the longer he spoke. He didn’t miss the way Rus’ brow ridges rose as he admitted to the last bit of information. Oh stars maybe Rus was mad.

 

“You’re still friends with your ex?”

 

Blue felt his soul speed up in his chest. There was something in Rus’ voice when he asked his question. Was it hurt? Disappointment? He didn’t understand. Why would it matter if he was friends with Fell? They dated and it didn’t work out. Was he supposed to give up his best friend just because they made a mistake thinking their relationship could go further than friendship? “Yeah…?” Blue wasn’t completely sure how to respond. What did Rus want him to say?

 

Rus simply stared at Blue, the taller skeleton not saying a word.

 

The silence was deafening and all Blue wanted to do was scream at Rus to say something, anything. “Rus does this bother-“

 

“What kind of person is he?”

 

Blue flinched at the sudden shift in Rus’ mood. It was as if those few moments never happened. His boyfriend was back to his lazy half smile, staring fondly at him. It took a couple seconds for Blue to shake his worries out of his head and focus on the new subject at hand.

 

Fell’s personality? Well… There was no way he was going to tell Rus about Fell’s exotic libido. He had to be careful with his wording. “He’s a good guy. He’s… protective.” **_‘possessive’_** “He cares.” **_‘as long as you don’t want affection’_** “A little rough around the edges.” **_‘the sex is painful’_** “But I think Red and Fell are a good match.”

 

Rus stared at Blue as he considered his boyfriend’s response.

 

Finally, Rus let out a soft hum of amusement. “Well then, I’m glad Red is with someone who gets him.”

 

Blue looked up at Rus confused but didn’t have time to question the other skeleton as Rus was suddenly leaning down, pulling Blue into his tight hold as he pressed their teeth together in a soft, sensual kiss. Blue keened into the kiss, moving his arms up to wrap around Rus’ vertebra. Whatever crisis Blue had thought there to be was apparently averted.

 

After a while, Rus pulled away and gently bonked his forehead against Blue’s. “Let’s head to bed, babe.” Rus then gathered up the small skeleton in his arms and carried him back to his room bridal style.

 

Blue felt his cheeks glow brighter and he buried his skull against Rus’ tank top. He was never going to get used to this, but stars did he love every bit of it. 

 

_____________________________________________________________

 

The car ride to Fell’s condo gave Red enough time to calm down. At some point during the drive Fell had placed his leather jacket over the smaller skeleton, allowing him to relax enough for a small nap. The smell of leather and spices from the jacket warmed Red’s soul as he slept, keeping any more panicked thoughts from returning. Red vaguely remembered the car stopping and the feel of strong, long arms wrapping around him. He knew at that point Fell was carrying him to the elevator that led up to his condo on the upper floor. Had he been more lucid he would have insisted on walking himself, but another side of Red, the stronger side, wanted him to relax in Fell’s comforting hold. Unfortunately, the soft ding of the condo elevator was enough to wake the small skeleton from his slumber. After rubbing his sockets and allowing his tired mid to catch up with him, Red realized Fell had placed him on top the large, luxurious bed in Fell’s room.

 

Fell then stepped back and stood still in front of Red, his gaze not moving from the smaller skeleton.

 

Fell’s piercing stare caused Red to shift nervously in his spot. He wasn’t sure if Fell was waiting for him to say something, or to fall asleep. He couldn’t really read Fell’s emotions right now. It was strange. Normally he was so good at reading his professor. He felt like he had done so well before. Or maybe it was all in his head? Maybe he wasn’t good at reading Fell at all. That was probably it. Of course. He was delusional to think they were equals. Fell was out of his reach. How could Fell possibly think a pathetic, useless monster such as him-

 

“Stop it.” Fell ordered, yet his tone was not harsh.

 

Red flinched regardless and looked up at Fell. “Stop wha-“

 

“You’re quiet and you have that look on your face which means you’re overthinking something. You’ll keep going till you spiral into another panic attack. So stop it.” Fell crossed his arms across his chest as he gave Red a stern look.

 

Red’s sockets widened. How in the world did he know? Had he been that transparent? There was no way Fell could piece that much together, learn that much about him in such a short time. “How did you…”

 

Fell sighed and relaxed his posture, his gaze softening at the shocked expression Red held. “I know my pet.” It was a simple statement, and it was true. The more Fell began to learn about Red, the easier it was to read the smaller skeleton.

 

A soft dusting of crimson spread across Red’s skull as he looked to the ground and began fidgeting with the sleeves of the borrowed sweater. Fell knew him that well already? The thought made Red feel… well, happy. Someone bothered enough to watch him, to learn about him. It made him feel special.

 

“Now… Would you mind explaining what happened?”

 

Red’s breath hitched as he kept his gaze on the floor. Well he should have known this was coming. What did he expect? Like Fell wouldn’t want answers after finding him roughed up and mentally cracked. Red forced his nerves to calm down as he focused on the fibers of the carpet below. He knew this wasn’t something he could avoid. He had promised to be honest with Fell. He already broke one promise of coming straight to Fell if something bad happened, he wasn’t going to break another. Red’s hand subconsciously reached up to grip at the red leather collar around his neck, but his hand froze. His phalanges gently gripped at the space his collar would normally occupy.

 

Fell watched as Red’s hand reached up for the missing collar. He had noticed almost immediately that his pet was no longer wearing it, although he had a pretty strong guess that Red had not removed it himself, nor that it was removed willingly… Fell knew how much Red relied on the collar for support, the smaller skeleton always reaching up and gripping at the spiked leather for tactile comfort.

 

Fell knew better than to question Red about the missing accessory. He was almost completely certain that Red would find some way to blame himself for the collar’s disappearance, and upsetting the smaller skeleton was the last thing he wanted right now.    

 

**_‘My collar… That’s right…’_ **

****

How could he have forgotten? Red’s hand slowly flexed into a tight fist, his anger churning in his bones. He was frustrated, frustrated with himself. He had let Doggo take his collar. _His_ collar. The one thing that solidified his connection to Fell. He wished the stupid mutt had taken anything else. But no, the asshole took the one thing that meant the most to him.

 

Stars Fell probably already noticed by now. The thought made the guilt well up inside him, threatening to make him sick. Red shut his eyes in an attempt to will down the nauseating feeling. His mind was preparing to spiral down into self-hatred, ready to attack him once again for his failures. That was until a gentle hand wiped away a stray tear he hadn’t realized he shed.

 

Red snapped his sockets opened and looked up at fell. His professor’s gaze was soft and worried. No hint of disappointment anywhere. Red felt the tension around his soul ease up. Fell was so good to him. So kind, so patient. He was grateful to have such an understanding master.

 

Master…

 

That’s right.

 

Red _belonged_ to Fell. Collar or no collar, he still belonged to the other skeleton. And he owed his master an explanation. After taking a deep breath and steeling himself from his thoughts, Red focused up at Fell and began his expiation.

 

“I felt like I was bothering you and overstaying my welcome in your home, so I went back to my dorm… But my roommate Doggo had taken over my room for his… sex adventures.” Red shuddered at the memory of his ruined mattress. “I told him I was taking my room back… it started a fight… and I lost…” Red was quiet for a while as recalled the moment he thought he had defeated Doggo, how proud he felt for standing up for himself. He wondered how proud Fell would have been. “I thought I could beat him… but I was wrong…” Red’s grip on the borrowed sweater tightened. All the pains of his failures came rushing back with new force now that he was admitting to it out loud.

 

“What did he do?” Part of Fell didn’t want to hear it, but the other part, wanted to know. No, needed to know. He wanted to know everything Doggo did so he could pay the student back tenfold.

 

Red took another deep breath before explaining to Fell every step of the fight. From the start, to his downfall when Doggo used broken shards of glass to get his edge. After a moment of silence, Red continued and explained how Doggo had beat him till he was unable to move. Once Red was immobile and Doggo felt confident enough to act without fear of Red fighting back, Doggo had made his move and bit him. He then explained how before Doggo left, the dog monster left another mark by peeing on him, just to “ensure his new territory”, as Doggo had stated. Red felt his face light up with embarrassment once he was done with his explanation. He wasn’t completely sure, but he could have sworn he heard Fell growl. The thought made him worried that the information may have angered the other skeleton too much.  

 

“Did he… touch you…?” Fell asked as he strained to keep his voice calm. His magic was tingling ready to be released at the word.

 

Red flinched. He knew exactly what Fell was asking. Slowly, Red shook his head. He was grateful that all Doggo ever seemed interested in doing was using him as a punching bag or a chew toy. He was positive he couldn’t handle Doggo raping him as well.

 

Fell quickly let out a small sigh of relief. He wasn’t sure he would have been able to hold it together if Red had said yes.

 

“And the bite mark?” Fell questioned next. The magic that was put behind the bite didn’t make sense. If it was just a fight Red would only have cuts and bruises, but the bite was intentional. No other cut or bruise had magic backing up the attack. But the bite… Doggo made it with the sole purpose of leaving a mark.

 

Red took another breath and swallowed the lump that was building in his throat. He knew Fell was going to get angry at this part. But he had to say it. No secrets. No more. “Doggo saw my collar… and he said he wanted to break the owner’s property…”

 

Fell’s hands balled into tight fists, the sounds of bone creaking echoed through the quiet room. So he was right about the mark. It was one thing to speculate, it was another to hear someone affirm your fears. Doggo had attacked and marked Red because of the collar he gave the smaller skeleton. Fell had to focus to keep his magic from manifesting. It would do no good to lose his temper in front of Red. But stars was it difficult. His soul pulsed painfully in his chest, a mix of emotions buzzing through him at rapid speed. Anger, sadness, regret, and unbridled fury. He want to fucking murder the student!

 

It took all of Fell’s will power to keep from storming out of the condo and seeking out the monster to dust him right then and there. Fell tried focusing on the things in front of him to keep him grounded. Deep breaths. He needed to calm down. No he needed to confront Doggo. But Red was here. His pet needed him now. That soon to be dust pile wasn’t going to take away any more of his precious time with his pet.

 

After struggling with his internal battle, Fell looked down and saw Red was watching him with curious eyes. The taller skeleton’s gaze moved back to that god forsaken bandage on his pet’s clavicle. Doggo’s mark sitting there underneath the gauze, taunting him…

 

To break the owners property.

 

To break Red.

 

His Red.

 

With a snap, Fell lost all self-control, losing the quiet battle within.

 

With a growl in the back of his throat, Fell launched forward and grabbed Red’s skull, pulling the smaller skeleton into a deep, crushing kiss. Red felt Fell’s tongue licking at his sharp teeth and he parted instantly, allowing the taller skeleton’s tongue to snake inside and dominate his mouth. Red’s mind was reeling, he could hardly focus enough to form his own tongue which was quickly captured by Fell’s long appendage. Red didn’t understand, he was expecting Fell to overreact in a different way, not that he minded this at all. Red’s hands moved to grip at the front of Fell’s shirt as the taller skeleton leaned over, laying Red flat against the mattress. He couldn’t stop the moans that escaped as Fell’s tongue explored every inch of his mouth. Stars it felt right to have Fell over him.     

 

Skilled hands slowly made their way down Red’s frame till they paused at his hips, fingertips brushing against the exposed iliac crests that peeked out over the baggy sweat pants. Red felt a shiver run up his spine. It felt like forever since the last time Fell touched him. All previous thoughts were thrown out the window and replaced with one pleading desire for Fell to take him right then and there. Red felt Fell’s grip tighten against his sensitive bones causing him to buck into the touch.

 

Fell hummed in amusement feeling his pet involuntarily grind into him. He wanted to make Red lose control like that further. He wanted to make his pet feel good. Red was his and his alone to touch as he pleased. No one else’s. Fell parted the heated kiss and moved his tongue down to the smaller skeleton’s sensitive, exposed vertebrae. It only took one long lick and a bite to make Red dissolve into a puddle of moaning, panting mess.

 

“Nnh! Fell…”

 

Fell smirked hearing Red moan his name. It was just the push he needed to take things further. Fell’s right hand moved from Red’s pelvic bone to his spine, his grip hard as he began pumping quickly. The small skeleton under him gasped and writhed to his relentless touches, the sight alone enough to make his magic stir.

 

Even though Red was a beautiful mess before him, Fell couldn’t tear his eyes away from the gauze bandage around his pet’s clavicle. That fucking bite mark. Fell growled in frustration, moving his hand from Red’s pelvis to rip off the soft gauze protecting the sensitive wound. His sockets narrowed as he looked at the teeth marks on Red’s bone. They weren’t too deep, but the magic Doggo had used ensured the mark would scar. A permanent mark, on _his_ pet. Like hell he was going to let that happen. Without wasting another moment Fell leaned down and bit onto Red’s clavicle, his sharp filed teeth sunk into the sensitive bone like a surgeon’s blade. Marrow quickly bubbled to the surface and dripped down Fell’s jaw.

 

“Ahh! Fell! That hurts!” Red shut his eyes tight as searing pain shot across his shoulder, the continued ministrations to his spine doing little to ease the pain.

 

After a moment of whimpering, there was a warming sensation that radiated across Red’s bones, more specifically around his clavicle. Warmth? That was odd. He was sure he was bleeding but the warmth felt more… comforting. A few more moments passed and the pleasurable heat continued to grow. The comforting feeling completely overpowered the pain and Red finally relaxed his tense bones. Through hazy eyes Red could see the soft glow of Fell’s magic and suddenly it dawned on him, Fell was healing him while biting him.

 

“N-nn! Fell what-” Red’s skull flushed brightly as soon as Fell began to lick across his injured bone. He could feel the taller skeleton sucking and licking away the marrow as it seeped out, his sharp teeth slowly sinking in further. The healing magic had long removed the pain, now all Red could feel was intense waves of pleasure.

 

Fell was careful to watch Red’s HP as he continued to sink his teeth in further. Even though he was healing Red, he continued to run his hands across the smaller skeletons ribs and spine for good measure. Fell couldn’t help but smile to himself at all the delicious moans he was eliciting from the smaller skeleton under him. Once he was sure he had marked Red hard enough, Fell slowly removed his teeth and looked down fondly at his handiwork. He had bitten down further than Doggo, his teeth marks completely covering over the other student’s.

 

Fell smirked to himself. All evidence of Doggo’s mark was gone, and all that remained was Fell’s mark now.

 

Red stared up at Fell through half lidded sockets, his mouth a gape as he let out ragged pants. Stars that had felt amazing! He wanted Fell to keep going, to bite him all over the same way he did on his clavicle. “Please Fell… more…” Red weakly panted out, his bones humming with stirred up magic.

 

Fell’s smirk widened as he placed a gentle hand against Red’s cheek, his thumb wiping away a small strand of drool. “If we continue, there will be some things you’ll have to learn.”

 

Red stared up at fell and nodded. Anything Fell wanted, he’d agree. He just wanted the other skeleton to keep touching him.

 

“First off, answer honestly. You’re not a practiced submissive, are you.” It was more of a statement than a question. Fell already had his suspicions. The marks he had seen on Red the first day of school were not sex marks like he had initially thought, they were marks caused by Doggo.

 

Red shook his head. He figured Fell had mistaken his shy demeanor as some sort of submissive foreplay, it explained their first time together perfectly. While the whole situation had caught Red off guard, he never held ill feelings for Fell. He had every opportunity after that day to walk away, to tell Fell he didn’t like it, and that would have been the end to their arrangement. But he didn’t. Deep down, Red was glad Fell had done what he did. It might sound crazy, it might not be the most normal or healthiest way to start a relationship, but then again when was anything in his life normal or healthy?

 

“You’ve never been a part of the lifestyle either?” Fell questioned and as his phalanges traced down the front of Red’s Ilium. The sharp fingertips scratching along the bone with just enough pressure.  

 

Red sucked in a sharp breath and shook his head once more. His bones warmed to the sharp touches. He had already figured Fell was into BDSM the moment he saw the Closet of Pain. As if the collar wasn’t a dead giveaway. He knew about the lifestyle, but it was something he had never experienced before.

 

Fell leaned down and nipped at Red’s vertebra causing the smaller skeleton to gasp at the sudden sensation. Red was so sensitive and the noises he made was driving Fell crazy. He wanted to just take Red now, but he had to wait. He wanted to do things right. He had royally screwed up their first time. He was determined to teach Red the proper way to enjoy being a pet.

 

“Before we continue, I’m going to explain how this works. Listen carefully, ask questions if you need to.”

 

Red nodded his head eagerly. He was glad that his answers hadn’t scared Fell away. Part of him was worried if Fell knew the truth about his sexual inexperience, the other skeleton would abandon Red in favor for a more educated pet.

 

“First off, you can always say no. If you are not comfortable with anything, or things get too painful, you use a safe word and I’ll stop immediately.” Fell was slowly working his hands up Red’s body. He was sure to trace across every sensitive rib as his movements pulled the borrowed sweater up and above Red’s head.

 

Red raised his arms allowing Fell to remove his clothes, his embarrassment evident on his ever glowing cheek bones. Fell was so casually caressing and staring at his half naked body, it was hard to focus on the conversation. “Safe word? What’s the word?” Red knew about safe words, but he couldn’t recall if Fell ever gave him one.

 

“That is up to you. Pick a word and I will stop no questions asked.” Fell’s hands made their way back down to Red’s pelvis. He could feel the smaller skeleton shift his hips against him, wordlessly begging for his touch.

 

A safe word. Something like a pause. A sexual do over. Red wracked his lust hazed brain for an appropriate word. No, pause, stop were all words he could possibly say but not really mean. He knew sex with Fell was intense, so he needed a word that he knew he wouldn’t just blurt out in mindless ecstasy. Game over? No, that sounded too absolute. Red wanted to try his best to keep up with Fell. If he wasn’t ready right that second, then maybe after a little break they could start over. Save? Redo? Load? What was with all the game references? Red gasped feeling a long wet appendage drag up his spine till it met the back of his ribs. Red shivered as the cool air met with his now wet bones, a low moan escaping his mouth as he blurted out the next word in his head. “Reset.”

 

“That works.” Fell huffed in amusement at the way Red laid sprawled before him a trembling panting mess, his bones humming with magic. He knew he was teasing the smaller skeleton, yet not stimulating him enough to get his magic to form. Fell knew he wouldn’t be able to control himself once Red’s magic was ready to go. He had to be careful with his touches.

 

“Second, you have to trust me. You have to trust that I will stop the second you give your safe word.” Fell leaned over Red, staring his pet in the eye. He needed to convey how serious this was.

 

Red squirmed under Fell’s intense stare, the mood shifting dramatically with that one look. Trust Fell? Of course he did. Fell never yelled at him for having panic attacks, always knowing just how to calm him down. Being around Fell always made him feel safe and protected, regardless of the rough sex they had. Not to mention Fell saved his life from the fire.

 

Sudden realization flooded Red as he realized he trusted Fell just as much as his friends. In the short time they knew each other, Fell had worked his way effortlessly into Red’s life. The thought made Red’s soul swell.

 

With as much confidence as he could muster, Red firmly nodded his head towards Fell. “I trust you.”

 

Fell seemed relieved at Red’s words, his once devious smirk spreading into a genuine smile. Red found himself entranced by the look. He preferred seeing Fell genuinely happy like this. He wanted to see Fell smile more.

 

“Lastly, for this whole master pet arrangement to work, there needs to be open and honest communication.” Fell eyed Red with a knowing look causing the smaller skeleton to shrink in on himself.

 

Red felt a nervous drop of sweat work its way down his skull. Yeah, he would definitely have to work on the communication part. He was trying! And he would be sure to try even harder now that Fell had established it as a rule. No more hiding from Fell at his friends place. No more secrets. He could do this. No, he _wanted_ to do this. Red felt confident that Fell cared about him. To what capacity, he wasn’t sure yet. But he was sure that he wanted to be closer to Fell, and communicating was a good start.

 

Red kept his gaze on Fell and slowly nodded his head in agreement. “Okay.”

 

“Good. Now that’s settled…”

 

Red yelped in surprise as his sweat pants were violently ripped off, leaving his bones completely bare for Fell to see.

 

Now that he didn’t have to hold back, Fell was free to ravish his pet’s body. With newfound eagerness, Fell pinned Red’s hands above his head before leaning forward and littering Red’s ribs with sharp bites and long, languid licks. His free hand moved down between Red’s legs, rubbing his pubic arch roughly.

 

“Ahh! Fell!” Red threw his head back as his bones were assaulted with painful bites and teasing touches.

 

“Address me properly.” Fell warned as he dragged his clawed fingertips from Red’s sacrum all the way up his spine, stopping just below his pet’s floating soul.

 

“I’m sorry, master…” Red panted, his bones trembling with pent up magic.

  

Fell smiled at his pet’s obedience as his hand moved back between Red’s legs. He watched as Red’s magic collected at his pelvis, unsure what shape to take. The sight made him swell with pride. Red was allowing him to choose. He had complete control over his pet’s pleasure. Red was quickly becoming the perfect sex pet.

 

Fell quickly slid two fingers into the magical mound and began pumping mercilessly. He could hear Red moaning as the small skeleton bucked into the intruding digits. It took no time at all for Fell to mold Red’s magic into a slick, dripping entrance. He continued fingering Red, forcing the small skeleton to pant and write against his harsh movements till wet squelching sounds filled the room.

 

Once he felt his pet was wet enough, Fell removed his slick fingers allowing Red a moment to relax from the constant teasing.

 

Red watched through half lidded sockets as Fell licked away the juices from his fingers, his skull glowing bright as his master locked eyes with him as he licked up every drop. Fuck Fell was hot.

 

“Time for things to get fun.” Fell grinned as he stood from the bed. “Don’t move.” He ordered before making his way to his closet.

 

Red felt his bones shake with anticipation. Whatever Fell was getting from the Closet of Pain would mean they were in for an interesting night.

 

Fell returned with a few items in hand, placing them on the bottom of the bed before Red could see. “Don’t move.” Fell reminded Red as he was about to lift his head to look. Fell smiled as Red stayed quiet and still, following all of Fell’s orders to a T.

 

Red gave his master a curious look as he saw Fell coming up to his side. He didn’t get to watch the taller skeleton for long as his sight was suddenly cut off as Fell placed a blindfold around his skull. Red tentatively reached up to feel the blindfold. It was made of a soft velvety material that felt nice against his bones. The soft fabric tickled the rims of his sockets ever so slightly.

 

Red let out a small startled squeak as his hands were grabbed and pulled above him. He heard what sounded like a metal pole being placed above his head right before he felt smooth rope wrap firmly around his wrists. The rope was tightened to the point it rubbed almost painfully against his bones, but the continuous grazing of the smooth texture cause a shiver to run up his spine. Red pulled on the new restraints and found that his hands would not budge and inch.  

 

“Are you enjoying yourself?”

 

Red gasped as he felt Fell’s hot breath against the side of his skull. “Y-yes master…” He couldn’t see the other skeleton, but he could still hear and feel him. The lack of sight caused his bones to tingle with enhanced nerves.

 

“You remember your safe word?”

 

Red nodded his head. He could hear rustling at the bottom of the bed, presumably Fell picking up another item. Red strained his hearing, hoping to catch onto a clue as to what Fell was doing.

 

*SNAP*

 

“Ah!” Red flinched as he felt sharp pain strike across his ribs. It was quick, almost too quick to tell what it was.

 

*SNAP*

 

*SNAP*

 

*SNAP*

 

Red let out a long groan as his ribs began to ache with a throbbing burn. Now that he had a little time to focus Red could tell the object striking him felt like leather, that he was sure. But it felt nothing like the belt Fell used their first time. The leather was too small and the strikes were not as hard as the belt.

 

The patch of leather continued to whip across Red’s bones, lining his ribs and femurs in small red marks. Red felt tears pricking at the corners of his sockets, but he bit his tongue to keep from crying out. He didn’t want Fell thinking he was in pain. Well, he was in pain. But Red had ached for Fell’s rough touch for so long, he didn’t want this to stop.

 

“You’re doing so well.” Fell purred as he leaned over his pet. He could see Red’s bones shaking from the abuse, but the smaller skeleton had refused to let out any noise other than a muffled moan. Fell’s hands gently traced over the red welts that began appearing over the smaller skeleton’s pearl white bones, admiring the stark contrast in color. Red flinched to the touch before letting out a soft whimper. Fell smiled. His pet deserved a reward. Fell gripped Red’s spine harshly, holding the small skeleton in place as he ran his long tongue across the freshly wounded ribs, making sure to trace over each injured mark.

 

“Nnh! Yes!” Red bucked his hips against Fell as he felt the other skeleton’s long wet tongue run over his burning bones. The tongue agitated the marks, but feeling Fell’s tongue across his sensitive ribs was causing his head to spin.

 

Fell chuckled at Red’s reaction. His pet was so needy. It was entertaining to watch the smaller skeleton squirm under him. “Do you want more?” Fell raised a brow ridge as he gripped the riding crop tighter in his hand, ready for Red’s response.

 

“Yes! Please master!” Red was a panting drooling mess, his hips bucking up against Fell continuously. Stars he had been tortured enough. He just wanted Fell to fuck him already.

 

*SMACK*

 

“Ah!” Red flinched as he felt the small strip of leather whip across his ecto pussy. He could feel the sting permeating through his engorged clit.  

 

“What do you want?” Fell pressed the flap of the riding crop against Red’s wet, puffy lips. He watched as the smaller skeleton began rubbing himself against the crop, his precum dripping and catching in the leather fold. The sight caused his own ecto cock to throb painfully in the confines of his pants.

 

“Please master… please, I need you inside.” Red could hardly think straight, all he could focus on was the leather flap rubbing up and down his pussy lips, occasionally crazing against his sensitive clit causing his bones to tremble.

 

His thoughts suddenly stilled as he heard the all too familiar sound of Fell’s zipper sliding down. His soul sped up in his chest as he shifted his hips eagerly. Red sucked in a sharp breath as he suddenly felt Fell’s tongue drag up his vertebra to the side of his skull.

 

“If you want me to stop, knock on the metal pole three times.” Fell whispered.

 

Wait, what? What was Fell talking about? What about their safe word- “AH! MASTER!” Red screamed as Fell plunged his cock in all the way to the hilt. Red moaned as he willed his ecto pussy to relax to the sudden intrusion, his walls tense and stretched to their limits. Stars he felt so fucking full.

 

Red hardly had a chance to adjust before Fell began pounding into him at an unyielding pace. Red wanted to look at Fell and see the look in his masters eyes as he fucked him, but sadly the blindfold prevented that. Instead, Red focused on the sound of the mattress squeaking under their movements and the soft grunts Fell let out as he pumped deeper into Red’s aching pussy. 

 

“Ah fuck Red, you feel so good.” Fell panted as he thrusted into Red faster.

 

“Nnh! Yes… Mas-!” Red gasped as he felt bony hands wrap around his neck. His soul began to speed up in his chest as the grip tightened around his bones. Slowly, Red felt his airway being cut off. Panic began to settle in. What was Fell doing? Would he really hurt him? Red’s fight or flight instincts kicked in causing his adrenaline to rise.

 

Suddenly, Red recalled Fell’s words from earlier. It all made sense now. Knock three times to stop right? Red’s hands balled into fists and he pressed his phalanges against the cool metal of the pole, ready to knock.

 

Before Red could move his hands, a wave of pleasure ripped up from his pelvis, radiating through his bones. The sensation was so strong it left his body trembling. Stars this… this felt incredible! Red’s increased adrenaline along with his sight deprivation caused his bones to tingle with sensitivity. He could feel every ridge of Fell’s cock thrusting into him, his walls tightening around the other skeleton’s length, pulling him in deeper.

 

“F-fuck… Ah!” Red wheezed out the last of his breath. His magic was collecting at his pelvis, pulsing with pleasure at each thrust. He bucked his hips in time to meet Fell’s movements, desperate to feel his master pound into him deeper.

 

Fell grunted and began rutting into Red faster. Stars his pet was clenching onto him so tightly. He watched Red carefully as the smaller skeleton tried gasping for air, his tongue lulled out with drool dribbling down his chin. 

 

Red felt warmth gather at his neither regions indicating he was at his limit. Just a little more. He was so close. His hands clawed at the rope around his wrists as his body rocked with Fell’s harsh thrusts. Without any air, Red’s vision began to darken and he started to see spots. Suddenly, Fell’s grip let up completely and Red gasped in a breath of much needed air. As soon as he did, a wave of pleasure shot up his spine as he screamed his release. His body shook and his pussy pulsed as he came hard on Fell’s cock.

 

Fell let out a long groan as Red’s walls pulsed around him. He was close, but he wasn’t there yet. He wanted to keep feeling Red squeeze him.

 

Without giving his pet a break, Fell thrusted into Red throughout his orgasm, keeping him from coming down from his high. He quickly removed the blindfold from Red’s skull and lifted the small skeleton up so he was sitting in his lap. Fell slipped one hand down and roughly thumbed Red’s sensitive, swollen clit as he continued to fuck the smaller skeleton ruthlessly.

 

“Ah! Fu-Fell! Please! N-no more! It’s too much!” Red locked his still bound hands behind Fell’s skull as he bounced up and down in Fell’s lap, his bones shaking with almost painful amounts of pleasure. Fell wasn’t letting him rest, his bones still buzzed with his previous orgasm. Stars it was fucking driving him insane! His magic was overstimulated and he found himself quickly climbing to a second orgasm.

 

Fell panted as he plowed into the smaller skeleton’s slick entrance. Red’s cum began to drip down, coating Fell’s lap with red magical residue. “I don’t believe that’s the safe word.” He huffed against the side of Red’s skull, holding the smaller skeleton tightly as his own orgasm began to build.

 

“Ah! Fu-Yes! I’m coming! Fell I’m cu- Ahh!” Red screamed once more as a second orgasm wrecked through his bones. He could hear the soft squirts of his cum shooting past the sides of Fell’s cock.

 

Fell moaned as he felt Red’s pussy tighten around him once more, his pet’s tight walls milking his cock to his climax. With a low groan Fell seated his cock as deep inside Red as he could go and released his load inside him. Fell watched his cum shoot into red through his translucent pussy, watching as Red’s magic swelled to accommodate the excess magic.   

   

Red slumped against Fell, panting heavily as he came down from his euphoric high.

 

Stars that was incredible.

 

He stayed there as their summoned genitalia disappeared, leaving Red’s pelvis covered in Fell’s magic. He felt sticky and dirty, but he didn’t mind one bit. He felt too good to care.

 

Red didn’t get long to relax before Fell started to shift. The smaller skeleton groaned as Fell laid him down on the bed gently. Even though Fell was being careful with him, his bones ached all over. His long forgotten welts came back full force as Fell shifted and accidentally grazed over a particularly sensitive mark. Red bit back a soft hiss of pain.

 

It hurt, but it still felt good. It was a good hurt.

 

After some fiddling, Fell removed the rope from Red’s wrists. The binds had left a decently colored mark. Red gazed at his wrists absentmindedly.

  

After a moment, the bed dipped indicating Fell had gotten off. Red tiredly turned his head and watched as Fell readjusted his clothes before silently walking out of the room.

 

He left without looking at Red or even saying a word.

 

Red frowned as his soul let out a small ping of pain. Fell wasn’t going to stay? Well they were only master and pet. That didn’t mean they were in a romantic relationship. So it was only natural for Fell to leave, right? What else would he expect? They never cuddled before, so why would Red expect it now? Red couldn’t help but grip at the sheets as his soul pulsed painfully. He was suddenly aware of how alone he was in the vast, empty room.

 

Slowly, Red turned so he was laying on his front. He hissed as the sheets touched the marks that were scattered across his ribs. With careful movements, Red reached up and pulled the pillow towards him. He rested his skull on the soft plush pillow, willing his thoughts to focus on anything other than Fell. His soul continued to pulse painfully in his rib cage as his thoughts betrayed him, going back to think about his and Fell’s relationship.

 

It was just sex. He was just Fell’s property. There was no reason to get upset. It’s okay to be alone. It’s okay to be alone. It’s okay to be al-

 

“Red, are you still awake?”

 

Red’s head shot up spotting Fell in the doorway, a glass of water in one hand and a bottle of lotion in the other.

 

“Good.” Fell smiled and made his way back over to the bed. “Here, drink this.” Fell handed Red the glass of water before sitting down next to the small skeleton.

 

Red glanced up at Fell curiously as he took a sip of water. Suddenly, it hit him. He was parched. Red gulped down the rest of the water in no time, taking a satisfying breath of air after he was finished. Stars he didn’t realize that sex had made him so thirsty.

 

“Good boy.” Fell praised as he took the empty glass from the other skeleton and placed it on the nightstand. “Now, just try to relax.” Fell watched as Red shrunk into the pillow further. The look Red was giving him as he glanced at him curiously with one socket was almost cute. Hell it was adorable. But he would never admit that out loud. Fell grabbed the lotion from his lap and pumped a few squirts of it into his hand before discarding the bottle on the nightstand as well. The taller skeleton then maneuvered on the bed so he was leaning over Red. While being as careful and gentle as he could be, Fell began to spread the lotion over Red’s bones.

 

Red let out a soft groan as Fell’s hands wondered across his sore bones. The lotion cooled the welts and red marks causing the smaller skeleton to sigh contently. Fell’s skilled hands began to roam, pushing and rubbing against his spine, eliciting a satisfying pop from one of the joints. Red’s sockets fluttered closed as Fell moved up his spine to work at his sore scapula's. He was pretty sure he was in heaven right now.

 

“Red… I was thinking about what you said earlier...” Fell spoke as he continued to rub down Red’s stressed bones. “Having you here is not a burden. You didn’t overstay your welcome. If I truly didn’t want you here, I would have kicked you out myself.”

 

Red chuckled softly. Yeah, Fell was probably right. His professor wasn’t one for subtlety. Now that he was thinking things over with a clear head, he realized he may have over reacted. And once again, instead of communicating openly with Fell, he let his crazy assumptions wonder, putting him in this situation with Doggo…

 

“Red, I don’t want you going back to your dorm. I forbid it.” Fell was glad Red was facing down, or else he might see the angry look gracing his sockets. He wouldn’t let Doggo hurt his pet anymore. Red was _his_ , and he was going to protect him. That mutt wasn’t going to get so much as one hundred feet of his pet, not if he had anything to say about it.

 

“But, where would I-“

 

“You’ll live here. And don’t even bother about getting your stuff. I’ll just buy you new clothes and school supplies.” There was no room for debate with how stern Fell’s tone was.

 

“Fell… I… I couldn’t possibly impose like that.” Red began to fumble over his words. He could hear how serious Fell was, but he just couldn’t convince himself that he was worth all this trouble.

 

Red gasped as he was suddenly turned onto his side. Fell was leaning close, his firm gaze locked with the skeleton below him. A bony hand gripped at the side of Red’s skull, keeping him from looking away.

 

“You are _mine_. I will not allow for anyone to harm you. You will stay here, where I can protect you. Is that understood?”

 

“Yes sir…” Red finally conceded.

 

Fell was silent as he stared down at Red, his gaze holding firm with Red’s. Suddenly, Fell leaned down and captured Red’s mouth in a soft, tender kiss. Red tensed, but then quickly melted into the sensual kiss, his hand coming up to grip at Fell’s. There was that spark of magic that shot between their phalanges, tickling Red’s fingers. He could feel his soul fluttering in his chest. This kiss was nothing like he was used to with Fell, but it left him breathless all the same.

 

After a moment, Fell pulled away and moved off the bed. As he stood, ready to leave the room, he felt a hand grip his wrist. Fell looked down, raising an inquisitive brow ridge as he saw Red starting up at him, a deep crimson blush covering his skull.

 

“P-please… stay…? J-just for a little bit…?”

 

Fell could feel Red’s hand begin to shake the longer he stood there silent.

 

**_‘Stars why did I ask that? Of course he’s going to leave! Why did I make this awkward?’_** Red couldn’t stop his bones from shaking as he began berating himself for his brash decision. He didn’t know why he suddenly acted out. He saw Fell get ready to leave and his soul pulsed with panic. He just wanted Fell to stay a little while longer. Just a little…

 

“Alright.”

 

What?

 

Red felt his soul soar.

 

Fell moved the covers back before sliding into bed behind Red. He then reached over and wrapped an arm around his pet’s small frame, pulling him close till his rib cage was flush against the smaller skeleton’s spine. Fell sighed as he relaxed in bed with Red in his arms. This doesn’t mean anything, he told himself. He was simply tired.

 

Before he could drift off to sleep, Fell felt warm, comforting pulses radiating from the skeleton in front of him. It took a while to realize the pulses were coming from Red’s soul. Fell stared down at the smaller skeleton, watching the faint red glow pulsing from the inside of the other’s rib cage. Fell wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Was Red truly that happy to be around him that his soul would emit such emotions? Fell wasn’t sure what to do, he had never been in such a situation before. Should he say something? Should he move? Before he could ponder on the subject any further, Fell noticed the smallest, softest glow emanating from his own rib cage. The deep crimson glow was muted by his black sweater, but it was still there. Faint, but there. Fell’s sockets narrowed as he eyed the glow.

 

**_‘Red’s just a pet...’_** He reminded himself.   

   

_________________________________________________________

 

Blue hummed cheerfully as he made his way through the literature building towards Fell’s office, two coffee’s in hand. He figured after the night they had Fell might need a little caffeinated cheering up. And to be honest, he was mostly curious about what had happened after Fell left with Red. Blue wanted to know what happened to their student, he wanted to know who had hurt Red. But Rus wasn’t talking and either was Sans. Papyrus seemed to be left out of the secret as well, so all that was left was either asking Red himself, or Fell. And Blue felt his odds were better if he asked his friend.

 

Right as Blue reached Fell’s office, and before he could even adjust the coffee’s in his hand to knock, the door swung open revealing an incredibly pissed off looking skeleton.

 

“Oh! Hey! Good morning Fell. Are you… alright?” Blue extended one of the coffees in hopes the good-natured gesture would calm his friend’s obvious annoyance. Apparently a lot had happened last night. Blue was more curious than ever now.

 

Fell glanced down at the beverage then back at Blue. He then snatched the coffee more aggressively than he meant to, but he could tell Blue didn’t take the gesture personally. The small skeleton simply did his best to hold his comforting smile. “Thanks.” Fell muttered and took a sip of his coffee. Black. Just how he preferred.

 

“So mind telling me what’s got you all riled up?” Blue took a sip of his own coffee and was immediately assaulted with sweet creamy caramel flavoring.

 

“It’s the dean. He’s ignored all my emails and phone calls, and today I found out one of my reports for a student’s immediate expulsion had been conveniently lost. There’s something going on with the dean and I’m going to figure out what.” Fell wasted no further time explaining as he began power walking toward the entrance of the building.

 

“Wait what?!” Blue’s sockets widened as she ran to catch up with Fell. A report for immediate expulsion? Those requests were never lost. The school was careful to take all complaints seriously. Even if it turned out the report was false, the school would hold onto those records for years. “You’re going to have to give me more context. What’s going on?”

 

“It’s about Red. A student has been assaulting him. I thought I had taken care of the problem, but turns out…” Fell went silent as he recalled Red’s injuries. He couldn’t get the image of his pet’s scared broken eyes out of his head. The mark on his clavicle left there to taunt him as if saying he failed as a master and as a professor. He failed to keep Red safe.

 

“So you know who attacked Red?!”

 

“His roommate, Doggo.” Fell spat the name out as if the word alone was poisonous. His sockets narrowed as he thought about how many times Doggo must have attacked Red. How many incidents did he not know about? How long had this been going on? And why the fuck has the school not done anything about it yet? “This doesn’t make sense. The school should have stepped in by now. The situation is far too dangerous for Red.”

 

Blue felt like the wind had been knocked out of his nonresistant lungs. He felt his hands begin to shake as he recalled the conversation he had with Rus the night before.

 

**_“The school won’t do anything about the guy who attacked Red. We’ve tried reporting him. He’s untouchable. The school is protecting him.”_ ** ****

****

“Fell…” **_‘Maybe the school is protecting Doggo…’_** Blue wanted to say, but he couldn’t get the words out of his mouth. He didn’t want to believe it. This didn’t make sense. His school would never protect someone who would do something so violent, so horrendous. But… Blue couldn’t ignore the evidence staring him straight in the face.  

 

Fell glanced down at Blue and noticed the way his colleague was staring off into the distance, a look of dread washing over his features. Blue knew something, but he wasn’t talking. Fell raised a brow ridge as he eyed his friend suspiciously. He would be sure to question Blue about it later.  

 

In no time at all Fell and Blue had made their way to the main building. Blue looked around as government officials spoke to teachers, clogging the hallways as they chatted animatedly about business. Their government was strange that way. It was so small that monster schools and businesses were intimately involved in all the decision makings of new laws and policies. Some would say it was the ideal government, but in reality it was far from perfect. Being so small and having businesses directly involved with government made for shady politics. Bills would be passed that directly favored one business over another so long as the CEO and the government official were close friends.

 

Blue recalled a time when the Royal Council wanted Fell to join and become a member of the committee. Fell hadn’t even given them a response, yet businesses were already sending Fell gifts and favors in hopes to get in the professor’s good graces. They were still a couple back then, and businesses even so far as to try to buy Blue over as well. It was all so overwhelming, and deeply concerning. Blue couldn’t help feel that the whole situation was incredibly unethical.

 

Blue was startled back into reality as he watched Fell march past the dean’s secretary and barge into the office without so much as a courtesy knock. “Fell what are you doing!?” Blue whispered as he snuck past the secretary’s desk as well, for once in his life thanking his short stature which made it hard to be seen over the impressive sized desk. He knew the dean was a good guy, but he also wouldn’t stand for such blazon disrespect. He needed to come in and keep things civil between Fell and the dean or else Fell’s anger might get him fired. Before Blue could chastise Fell for his behavior, he was shocked to find the dean was missing.

 

Instead stood a tall goat monster with soft, white fur. She was well known to all monsters. She was the deans wife, Toriel Dreemurr.

 

“Oh hello there. How may I assist you two?” The goat monster flashed a soft smile as she rose from the dean’s chair, towering over Blue but coming just an inch short of Fell.

 

“I’m looking for Dean Asgore. Where is he?” Fell shot towards the woman. He was in no mood to fake pleasantries. He needed to speak to the dean, now.

 

Blue flinched at Fell’s harsh tone. Toriel wasn’t the dean, but it didn’t help to get cross with the dean’s wife.  

 

“I’m sorry, but my husband is out meeting with the Royal Counsel. If you need anything, I can assist you in his absence.”

 

Fell did his best to repress a frustrated growl. Was this the reason his emails and phone calls had gone unanswered? If the dean was spread too thin being both the head of the school and the Royal Council, then there was going to be a problem. He wouldn’t stand for a half assed leader running the school, especially if it meant students were put in danger due to their negligence. “How long till he gets out of his meeting? I have something of the utmost importance to discuss.”

 

“Oh dear! Well I’m not sure how long he will be. He’s been out all day. Please, let me help. I’ve been stepping up for my husband as he attends to his other duties.” Toriel flashed another kind smile as she gestured for the two skeletons to sit down.

 

Blue took a seat in one of the lush chairs set out for guests, but looked up at Fell curiously as his colleague stayed standing.

 

Fell’s sockets narrowed at Toriel’s instant behavior to _assist_. The dean’s wife was not a member of the school board, nor did she hold any authority at MSU. Having her deal with issues that were meant for the dean violated a myriad of rules and regulations.

 

Something wasn’t adding up.

 

“I cannot discuss this matter with you, I can only discuss this with Dean Asgore. Now could you please message him to come here as soon as he’s done with his meeting?” Fell began to grind his sharp teeth together as his frustrations rose.

 

“Are you sure? He could take a long time… Please professor, I assure you I can handle whatever situation you have.” Toriel’s kind smile began to twitch ever so slightly.

 

“I would prefer to speak to Dean Asgore.” Fell’s hands clenched tightly at his sides.

 

“But Asgore isn’t here right now. He’s held up in a very very long meeting…” Toriel’s voice began to waiver as she watched Fell’s defiant behavior. “Please, let me assist in his stead.” Her large paws rubbed together, almost like a nervous tick before she gestured once again for Fell to take a seat in a chair.

 

Fell crossed his arms over his chest and stood his ground, making a point not to sit in any chairs offered to him. “I’ll wait.”

 

Blue folded up the collar to his polo and began shrinking into his shirt. The situation was beyond awkward and the tension in the air was palpable.

 

After a long moment of silence between the two and what seemed to be a grueling stare off, Toriel finally sighed and leaned forward placing her paws on the desk in front of her. “Listen here,” suddenly her entire demeanor shifted, her once cheery and kind disposition vanished. “Asgore is going to be gone all day. He was gone all day yesterday, and he will be gone all day tomorrow. Do you understand? So if you want whatever issue you have resolved you better spit it out now. Or else you can leave. What is it going to be?”

 

Blue’s sockets widened at the sudden dark tone in Toriel’s voice. He had never seen the dean’s wife anything less than pleasant. He couldn’t help the chill that ran up his spine, warning him that something was indeed very wrong.

 

Fell stood still, his face stoic. Toriel’s sudden personality shift didn’t faze him one bit. His suspicions were quickly rising as he took in the situation before him.

 

“Alright then.” Fell relented. There was something he wanted to see, a theory to test.

 

Fell kept his harsh stare on Toriel as he began his explanation. “I have a student who has been physically assaulting another student. They are roommates. The school needs to act now and discipline the attacker, or at the very least reassign their dorm rooms. I have filed for this student to be immediately expelled yet for some reason my report has been mysteriously lost. Care to explain what the hell is going on?” Fell couldn’t stop his voice from rising. His frustrations were at a boiling point.

 

“Oh my! That’s terrible! What’s the student’s name? I’ll make sure we get right on that!” Like a flip of a dime, Toriel was back to her kind, cheerful self. The tall goat monster began searching through filing cabinets behind the desk, pulling out the required paperwork for an official assault report.

 

Fell watched Toriel carefully as he spoke. “The student who has been attacking others is Doggo.”

 

Fell noticed the pause in Toriel’s movements before the woman sighed and began putting the papers back in the filing cabinet.

 

What the hell?

 

“I’m sorry to hear that. The school will get right on it and discipline the student appropriately. Thank you for coming in.” Toriel sat back down at the dean’s desk and began poring over paperwork about school budgets. There was no indication that they would file any official assault report. After a few moments went by and neither skeleton made a move to leave, Toriel looked up and gestured to the door. “You can go now.”

 

“What the hell is that?!” Fell exploded, slamming his hands down on the desk. “You aren’t even going to fill out a report?! How am I supposed to believe anything will actually be done about this?!”

 

Toriel sighed as she leaned back in the plush leather chair, slowly rubbing the bridge of her snout. “Listen professor, I’m going to be honest with you. The school knows about Doggo’s… temperament issues. But an executive decision has been made to allow the student a second chance. We know Doggo is very sorry and he will not hurt another student again-“

 

“That’s a load of bologna!”

 

Both Fell and Toriel looked up to see Blue standing at the desk, his cheeks puffed out and phalanges shaking in attempt to hold back his anger.

 

Toriel blinked shocked at the once quiet skeleton’s words. “Excuse me-“

 

“You know as well as I do that there has been more than one report on Doggo regarding him assaulting his roommate! Several students have come forward complaining about Doggo attacking their classmate and you’ve done nothing about it! Give him a second chance you say- how many second chances does this one make? Doggo isn’t sorry, he’s not going to stop. You know it, I know it, Fell knows it, half the freaking school knows it! Why are you protecting him?!” Blue panted softly after his long-winded outburst, his whole body shaking with both anger and nervousness for yelling at the dean’s wife.

 

Fell looked at Blue shocked. What did he just say?

 

Toriel remained quiet until Blue began to calm down. It wasn’t until the small skeleton’s bones stopped shaking did she clear her voice and speak up. “Are you aware of what kind of situations us monsters are in right now?”

 

Both Fell and Blue looked at Toriel with questioning looks.

 

What in the world was she talking about?

 

“Humans hate us monsters. They look for any tiny excuse to lash out.” Toriel folded her paws in front of her face and closed her eyes. There was pain behind the strained sigh she let lose before collecting herself once more. “Just last year professors at this very school were caught doing experiments on humans. Horrible, terrible experiments. If word had spread to the human media there would have been immediate war. We did everything we could to cover it up.”

 

“You… lied to us… to the humans.” Blue’s voice was trembling. How could something like that happen at their school? What monster would be so soulless to do such a thing?

 

“We were protecting our people! _I_ was protecting this school!” Toriel glared at Blue, standing up to tower over the smaller skeleton further.

 

Blue flinched and Fell quickly stepped in front of his friend, his magic brimming at his fingertips just waiting to launch a wall of bones to protect them.

 

“No one cares about this school as much as I do! Asgore didn’t even discipline the professor! He’s far too busy with the Royal Council to even know what goes on at this university! I did what was best. I protected us.” Toriel stood firm, her resolve on the matter unwavering.

 

Fell glowered at the goat monster before him. So his suspicions were correct. Toriel was far too insistent on being a part of the school’s inner workings; it was because she was running the place. Fell wasn’t sure if Asgore knew what his wife was doing or not, but regardless, it meant Toriel had full control of the university.

 

“What about Red? How does this have anything to do with Doggo attacking Red and the school doing nothing to protect its students?” Fell wanted to scream but he knew he had to be careful. Toriel was on edge and so was he. He had to play his cards right if he wanted to benefit from Toriel’s emotional outburst. There were still so many questions left unanswered, he was still missing parts of the big picture.

 

Toriel sighed and walked towards the floor to ceiling window of the office that overlooked the entire campus of MSU. She placed a gentle paw on the class as she looked out at the students wondering around the campus. “The school has to maintain its image. The humans cannot see MSU as anything other than perfect. How do you think humans will react if they think monsters are violent creatures who will attack even their own kind?”

 

Blue reached forward holding onto one of Fell’s arms. He didn’t like this. He didn’t like any of this one bit.

 

Without waiting for a response, Toriel continued. “Of course the first time we learned about Doggo attacking the student we immediately moved to separate the two, to at the very least put them in separate dorms.”

 

“But…?” Fell pressed on. Why hadn’t they just done that from the start? Why was Red forced to stay in a dorm with his abuser?

 

Toriel sighed once more and turned to look at Fell and Blue. “Doggo requested to keep the student as his roommate. He threatened to go public if his demands weren’t met. So we made a choice… We had to protect MSU and its students…”

 

There was a large crackle of magic as strong energy flooded the office.

 

Blue held on tight to Fell’s arm, using every ounce of strength he had to hold back the taller skeleton. A nervous sheen of sweat gathered across the smaller skeleton’s skull as he looked up at Fell. A chill ran up his spine at the terrifying sight before him. Fell’s eyes had vanished, replaced by large spurts of crimson flames that shot out of the now hallow sockets. Red magic coalesced at Fell’s hands, waves of intense energy rippling off his bones just waiting for Fell to command an attack.    

 

“ _YOU_ MADE THE CHOICE! NOT THE SCHOOL! _YOU_ SINGLE-HANDEDLY DECIDED THE LIFE OF THIS ONE STUDENT DIDN’T MATTER SO LONG AS YOU COULD UPHOLD THE SCHOOL’S _PRECIOUS_ REPUTATION! WHAT FUCKING CRAP! HOW DARE YOU!”

 

“Fell stop! Don’t do this!” Blue silently begged his friend for forgiveness as he raised his left hand against Fell’s back. With as much energy and concentration as he could muster, Blue used his magic on the other skeleton. With a small “ping”, Fell’s soul turned blue.

 

Fell’s magic was immediately cut off and his body stood still, frozen in place. Normally Fell would have never let his guard down, but then again, normally he would have never suspected Blue to ever use his magic on him.

 

“Professors, I understand your frustration and I am truly, truly sorry. But this subject is not open for debate. Doggo will continue to reside at MSU as our star quarterback, and Red will remain his roommate.” Toriel stepped forward now that she could see Blue had a strong hold of Fell’s soul. She held both skeletons with a stern glare. “Now if you know what is best for your careers, you will both leave this office and forget this all ever happened.” Toriel’s paw rose and she hovered over the red button on the phone that sat atop the dean’s desk.

 

Blue’s sockets widened as he recognized the button as the call for security. Every land line phone on campus had it. There was no way they would leave with their jobs in tact if Toriel had them escorted out by security. “No wait! Of course we’ll leave!” Blue began to pant softly as the strain of holding Fell’s soul became too much to bear.

 

Blue glanced up at Fell with pleading eyes, hoping his friend could read his intentions. His bones shook with exhaustion. He wasn’t sued to using this much blue magic. Fell was the one with endless amounts of stamina, so to muster enough strength to hold his friend back was beyond taxing on his body.

 

Fell was still for a while, holding Blue with a harsh glare. Only after a while of Blue’s pleading looks did Fell finally relax and nod his head slightly. He knew his friend was just looking out for him. Now that he had a moment to cool off, Fell found himself grateful for Blue’s interference. No good would have come from attacking the dean’s wife. Stars he was losing his edge! He needed to be calm, logical, civil.

 

With a heavy sigh of relief, Blue released Fell’s soul.

 

Fell straightened out his clothes and huffed at Toriel before grabbing Blue by the hand and dragging the small skeleton out of the office with him. He made a point to slam the door hard enough to break the frame.

 

He was going to be somewhat civil.

 

Once outside the main building Blue and Fell took a moment to gather themselves. They had discovered so much about the school and the situation with Doggo. None of it good.

 

Blue leaned against the wall of the main building as he took in deep breaths in an attempt to calm his rapidly beating soul. Everything Rus had said was true. The school was not a perfect, safe place like he had once thought. There were secrets upon secrets that were being covered up. Stars knows what other illegal or unethical things the school was letting slide just so it could keep up appearances for the humans. He hadn’t even known things between monsters and humans were _that_ bad. Was war really just around the corner? Were humans honestly just looking for an excuse to attack? Nothing made sense anymore.

 

Blue pulled himself out of his spiraling thoughts as he noticed Fell making his way down the campus. Fell hadn’t said anything since the dean’s office. His friend’s silence was concerning.

 

“Fell! Where are you going?” Blue called after the taller skeleton, worry laced in his voice.

 

“I’m going home.”

 

“But what about Doggo? We have to think of something. We can’t just let him hurt Red.”

 

Fell paused for a moment before turning towards Blue, a dark and dangerous look in his sockets. His voice was low, laced with heated warning. “If the school isn’t going to do something about Doggo, then _I_ will.” With that, Fell left a confused Blue as he made his way to the parking garage.

 

Blue felt a tremor in his soul at Fell’s words. He wasn’t sure what Fell was going to do, but he had a feeling there was going to be trouble.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is the long awaited Halloween party.  
> Fun stuff awaits. ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
> 
> As always I encourage any feedback and suggestions. ♥


	18. A Change of Plan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)  
> babypizzawonderland - [View Here](http://babypizzawonderland.tumblr.com/post/149599889407/tonight-you-lucky-people-get-a-progression-of)  
> coffeeyesman - [View Here](https://coffeeyesman.tumblr.com/post/149545985615/so-hyped-from-the-last-chapter-highly-recommend)  
> ember-witch - [View Here](http://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/149701515724/fan-art-for-sinnyskelles-fan-fiction-to-love) & [View Here](http://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/151611976384/another-fanart-piece-for-sinnyskelles-to-love)  
> bluetrashsins - [View Here](http://bluetrashsins.tumblr.com/post/150780954787/my-knights-resquing-their-damsels-in-distress)
> 
> Hey guys! It's been waaaay too long. This chapter gave me so many problems, there were so many things keeping me from finishing this thing. Writers block is a bitch! But I wanted to say thank you to all my friends who helped me with this chapter. Not just with the research, but with the kind motivating words. I was in a bit of a rut and just talking to people really helped me overcome some things that were holding me back. It's amazing how as soon as I got things off my chest, the rest of the chapter just flew by. 
> 
> So without further adieu, here's chapter 18! Hope you all enjoy! And thanks for your patience! ♥

 

“Shit.”

 

Rus cursed as another popcorn kernel bounced off his jaw and joined the ever increasing pile on the floor by his chair. The hoodie clad skeleton sighed and leaned back in his seat, tossing another kernel up into the air. A soft *plunk* sound resonated behind the skeleton indicating the popcorn kernel had landed in a beaker of liquid behind him.

 

“Would you get off your bony ass and come help us?” Red growled in frustration as he and Sans struggled to push a heavy metal plate upright against the lab wall. The resounding thud of metal hitting concrete rang throughout the empty lab as the two skeletons finally push the plate flush against the wall with a little more force than necessary.

  

“I don’t know why you guys are so adamant on getting the next stage of the experiment started. After the fire, the science program offered a timeline extension on all projects for all students. Don’t know if you haven’t noticed, but no one else is working on their project.” Rus raised his hand and gestured to the empty lab. The fire had taken out several classrooms and lab rooms, and even though reconstruction had been fast underway, the effects from the fire meant less lab space for the students. Almost all science students had taken the extended time as an opportunity for an impromptu vacation; leaving Sans, Red, and Rus the only ones to the science building’s resources.

 

A small chuckle left sans mouth. “That’s precisely why we want to get a head start. Once the rest of the students come back, do you think we’ll ever get any lab space or time with them all crowded around here?” Sans let out a relieved sigh as he wiped a few droplets of sweat from his skull while looking at his and Red’s handiwork. They had successfully maneuvered over eight heavy, industrial sized metal plates. He was a little proud of himself looking over all materials they had gathered.

 

Rus tilted his head back in thought. Sans and Red made sense. Once the other students came back, it would be weeks maybe even months before the rest of the building would be fixed, meaning students were going to be spending lots of overtime in the labs in a desperate rush to get their experiments back on schedule. Sans and Red were smart to get a head start, he couldn’t deny that. Normally Rus wouldn’t be _this_ lazy, nor would he be burdening the smaller skeletons with the heavy lifting, but… he just couldn’t get himself to focus. At least not today.

 

After Halloween, yes.

 

But for now, there were more pressing things on the skeleton’s mind.

  

Rus turned his head and watched as Red sat on the floor against a cabinet, panting softly to catch his breath. Sans was quick to follow as he plopped down in the lap of his look-alike, leaning against Red’s sternum. Rus couldn’t help but smile at the smaller skeletons. His friends may be weak individually, but when the two monsters worked together, it was hard not to be impressed by their combined strength.

 

“Hey, I think I’m going to go out for a bit before I head to Grilbz tonight.” Rus announced as he got up from his seat.

 

Right as Rus started talking, Sans phone buzzed twice in his pocket, indicating a text message. Sans pulled his phone out and began looking through his messages as Red perked up, focusing on Rus.

 

“But don’t you have your psych class? Which…” Red looked at the clock in the empty lab room that read fifteen past the hour, meaning Rus was already late for class. “You’re missing it by the way.”

 

“Nah, I’ll just get the lecture notes from Blue when he gets home.” Rus waved a hand to dismiss his friend’s worry.

 

“You sure Blue will be okay with you ditching his class?” Red asked nervously. Red knew the small, energetic skeleton seemed innocent enough, but he also knew Blue took his job seriously. Scary seriously. It was probably one of the few things he had in common with Fell.

 

“He… probably won’t be happy. But I have something important to do.” Rus rubbed the back of his vertebra nervously. Now that he was thinking about the implications of ditching his boyfriend’s class, Rus was almost positive he would get a stern lecture from Blue.

  

“What do you got to do?” Red cocked his head to the side curiously. His arms instinctively wrapped around Sans as the other skeleton shifted in his lap, his bony fingers tapping away at his phone in what seemed like a heated text conversation. Normally Red would have shoved Sans off his lap by now, along with a few empty threats, but lately Red had noticed physical touch didn’t seem as scary to him as it used to be. He couldn’t quite explain it, but he found himself flinching less and less around his friend’s physical shows of affection. So much so that he even began reciprocating them.

  

“I have to go buy some stuff…” Rus answered vaguely as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a toothpick, hoping Red wouldn’t ask any more questions. He quickly bit down on the stick and used his tongue to play with the end in his mouth, using the small distraction to curve his nicotine craving till he got outside the building. By now Red and Sans probably knew what he was talking about. His friends knew about Rus’ drug habit, but they also knew he only partook in the activity when severely stressed. He could only pray that his friends didn’t question what was bothering him. He didn’t want to lie, but at the same time he didn’t want to explain that he was incredibly nervous about the night out at Grilbz.

 

Rus wasn’t necessarily nervous for himself, so much as he was nervous about Blue. It wasn’t too long ago that Blue was kidnapped from Grilbz by a couple of shady humans. Rus struggled to keep his expression impassive as he recalled looking past Jenny in the club, watching Blue weakly struggle and reach out to him as he was carried out of the club’s front doors. His bones burned with fear and he couldn’t deny the tug at his soul, something strong yet invisible, pulling at him to follow. He ditched Jenny without a single word and raced towards the exit only to catch the tail end of a van speeding off. Rus had chased after the van on foot, teleporting from spot to spot to catch up to the vehicle when it would get too far out of sight. Rus recalled how exhausted he was burning through all his magic reserves as he desperately tried to keep up with the van. He remembered the fear that froze his marrow to the core when the van pulled a corner and disappeared. Rus had exhausted all his magic, and yet he forced his tired legs to keep running as he checked around every corner.

 

There was nothing.

 

Rus couldn’t remember much of that moment. All he could recall was his skull pounding as dread clouded his mind, his legs moving as fast as they could as he trailed a dirt road.

 

Time froze as soon as heard the far cry of Blue’s voice.

 

**_“S-STOP! NO!”_ **

****

It was like a second wave of energy flooded the skeleton. Rus ran towards Blue’s voice and found the van tucked away near a canal. Rus’ small relief was short lived as he heard Blue scream yet again.

 

**_“STOP! AHH! PLEASE!”_ **

****

After that Rus didn’t remember much. He knew he must have attacked the humans, but honestly everything was a blur. Part of him honestly didn’t care if he had attacked the humans or not. All that mattered to him was getting Blue back, so the bits of fuzzy memory really didn’t concern him too much. Rus was almost positive that some subconscious part of him didn’t want him to remember. And going to Grilbz tonight wasn’t exactly going to help that.

 

Rus knew he had to keep his cool, for Blue’s sake. Blue hadn’t said anything about not wanting to go, so Rus didn’t want to be the one to ruin everyone’s fun. He had to calm himself down if he had any hopes of getting through the evening. And in order to do that he would need a little help from a special plant.

 

Red watched as Rus struggled with some internal battle, his lazy smile twitching ever so slightly. He knew the other skeleton well enough that if Rus wanted to talk about it he would have said something by now. It was obvious whatever was bothering Rus was something the taller skeleton wanted to deal with on his own, and Red could respect that. He just wished he could help some way or another.

 

Rus finally returned from his thoughts and noticed Red watching him with a concerned looked etched on his skull. Damn his friend for being so fucking observant. Rus struggled to change the subject, not wanting to worry his friends further. “What about you two? Don’t you guys have class too right now?”

 

“I’m ditching.” Sans admitted straight out as he continued to text furiously. Even though Frisk had forgiven him after his little sleepwalking ordeal, he still didn’t feel up to seeing his friend yet. He was sure Frisk would do anything in their power to act normal as if yesterday never happened, but Sans just wasn’t ready to put that much effort into pretending just yet. Something about the dream unnerved Sans, and he felt it was best to avoid Frisk until he had a little more time to cool off.

 

Red frowned as he looked down at his friend in his lap. Sans had vaguely mentioned that something happened in his culinary class yesterday, but he didn’t elaborate on it. Red could tell what ever happened really bothered the other skeleton, but he wasn’t about to push Sans for an explanation. Red rubbed Sans arms comfortingly as he looked back up to Rus. “Fell canceled his class for today, so I got no other classes to go to.”

 

Fell canceling class was a shock. The edgy professor was always strict about being on schedule, so for him to cancel his own class came somewhat as a surprise to Red. Although, Red figured Fell knew most of the students would ditch class anyway. It was Halloween tonight and Fell’s literature class was later in the day. Fell probably figured most of his students were going to ditch in order to get a head start on drinking. It was a smart move, but Red couldn’t shake the thought that something was wrong. Fell wasn’t the kind of professor to be lenient on his students.

 

“Huh… Well Red I guess I’ll see you at Grilbz tonight. And Sans I’ll see you later tonight in the evening.” Rus felt a little envious of his friends open schedules, but he figured Blue would understand if he ditched class just once. Just for tonight.

 

“I don’t know about that…” Sans announced as he let out a heavy sigh.

 

Both Rus and Red looked at Sans curiously.

 

“Papyrus just sent me the address for the party… it’s Red’s address… The party is being held by Doggo…” Sans made a face as he held up his phone to show the others the text conversation from him and Papyrus.

 

Rus’ sockets widened as he quickly looked over to Red to see how his friend was reacting to the news.

 

Red frowned but otherwise stayed silent, staring at the phone with somewhat of an impassive expression.

 

“There’s no way I’m going. How could Papyrus even think this is okay?” Sans was starting to fume. It wasn’t like Papyrus to keep such important information from him till the last minute. As if Sans wouldn’t recognize Red’s address and be able to put two and two together. This behavior wasn’t like Papyrus at all. Sans knew that he nor his friends told Papyrus about Doggo’s history with Red, but it wasn’t like they spoke fondly of the dog monster. It was easy for anyone to tell they had bad blood. So why would Papyrus think a party hosted by Doggo would fly with him?

 

“Maybe he didn’t know the address till now…?” Rus tried to think of an excuse for Papyrus, not wanting to believe the other skeleton would do something so questionable. It was true the three of them had never really told Papyrus what Doggo had done that was so terrible, but the jock skeleton knew that the three of them hated Doggo with a passion. That in itself should be information enough.

 

“I don’t know, but don’t worry I’m definitely not going-“

 

“No, you should go.” Red cut Sans off, his voice calm and soft.

 

Both Sans and Rus turned to look at Red in surprised shock.

 

“Red… You can’t be serious.” Sans voice was soft and full of disbelief.

 

“Sans think about it… Papyrus wouldn’t do anything shady on purpose. No offence, but your boyfriend is a cream puff. He probably didn’t know, or was pushed into it. Besides, the guy is a freshman. If he pisses off Doggo now, you can guarantee that asshole will make the rest of Papyrus’ years at this school the worst, most miserable years of his life.” Red frowned at the thought of Doggo torturing yet another innocent soul at this school for his own sick sadistic pleasure.

 

Sans face fell as Red’s words hit him like a ton of bricks. His friend was absolutely right. Papyrus didn’t have a mean or devious bone in his body, he was jumping to conclusions. Sans felt his soul sink for questioning Papyrus’ integrity even for a second. Having someone care about him was new, he still wasn’t used to all this trusting stuff. On top of it all, Red’s warning about Doggo making Papyrus’ life hell at the school was a cold wake up call. All the jock skeleton wanted was to make friends, and being close to Sans was probably hurting the athletes reputation. If Doggo wanted, he could force the entire football team to turn their backs on him. And if Doggo somehow got Papyrus kicked off the team, there went his football scholarship and only means of finishing school. Sans sighed as he rubbed his thumb over the side of his phone, his eye lights staring down at Papyrus’ text message. Papyrus had done so much for him, had been so patient, so caring. Going to some dumb jock party was the least he could do for the other skeleton.

 

“You’re right Red… I’ll go…”

 

Red smiled and gave Sans a reassuring hug. He could feel his friend leaning into the touch, letting him know the sentiment was appreciated. His friends were some of the best monsters around. Their loyalty was one of the few things that gave Red strength during hard times. But now that he was pretty much living with Fell, Doggo would soon become a thing of the past. He didn’t want that mutt hurting anyone else, especially Papyrus. Red knew how much Sans cared for the big lug. He also knew how much their relationship was helping Sans heal. As far as Red was concerned, Papyrus had become an honorary friend as well, and he wanted to protect his friends as much as possible.

  

Rus tucked his hands into the large pockets of his hoodie as he took Red’s words to heart. Red was quickly becoming the logical member of their little dysfunctional family. It warmed his soul to see the once nervous skeleton come so far out of his shell. He wasn’t sure what exactly changed in Red’s life, but he had a good feeling Fell was a huge part of it. Rus made a mental note to find some way to meet with Fell and get to know this mystery skeleton monster better. Fell had now been a huge part of both Blue’s and Red’s life.

 

“Well, I agree with Red. So I guess it’s settled, we’ll all meet up at Grilbz later.” Rus removed the now chewed up toothpick and tossed it in a nearby trashcan.

 

The other two skeletons nodded as Rus grabbed his bag and tossed a lazy wave in their direction. After a few short goodbyes, Rus teleported out of the lab room with a small *blip*.

 

Sans let out another exhausted sigh as he got up from his friend’s lap. “Well, I better go get ready. Paps said we’ll meet up at the party since all the jocks are going to the apartment together as a group.”

 

“Sans…”

 

Sans turned around to see Red standing by the counter, his hands moving to grab at his bare vertebra before awkwardly fidgeting with his sleeves as if he had forgotten his collar was no longer there. “Just… be careful, okay?”

  

Sans watched his friend closely for a moment before his teeth stretched into a relaxed grin. “I will Red, don’t worry. Besides,” He gave Red a little wink. “Maybe I’ll even impress them. Who knows?”

 

“If anyone could, it’d be you.” Red chuckled as Sans shrugged nonchalantly.

 

“Hey, I’m a bone-afied party animal.” Sans winked again as he gave Red the finger gun.

 

Red smacked his skull and shook his head. He hoped those dumb jocks loved puns.

 

________________________________________________

 

Rus let out a relieved groan as he teleported into Blue’s living room and plopped down onto the clean, plush sofa. The lengthy skeleton made no attempt to move as he took in the familiar aroma of his boyfriend’s apartment.

 

Getting a hold of his dealer on the night of Halloween was a task in itself. Apparently everyone wanted something special for their parties which left his dealer all cleaned out of the usual stash. Rus sure as hell wasn’t going to be able to get through the night without at least a little help, so he asked the monster if he had anything else. His dealer was hesitant at first, but finally offered Rus a new batch of buds, this one much, much stronger than his usual supply. Rus could only pray that he could handle the new stuff well enough to at least function throughout the night. He just wanted to ease his anxiety, he didn’t want to be a blazed mush.

 

After a small internal battle with his depleting willpower, Rus finally pushed himself up to sit properly on Blue’s couch. A quick glance around the small apartment showed that Blue had yet to come home. This was perfect. He had just enough time to smoke and get ready for Grilbz before Blue would arrive.

 

Rus made quick work of rolling the filter and then the joint. He cleaned off the rest of the weed and made sure not to get any excess on Blue’s carpet. He knew how much of a clean freak Blue was and wanted to make sure he didn’t leave a mess. He wasn’t sure how happy Blue would be if he came home to weed smelling carpet. Honestly, he wasn’t completely sure about smoking in Blue’s apartment at all.

 

Given Blue’s personality, the health nut, cleanliness obsessed skeleton most likely didn’t approve of drugs. Rus froze at this thought.

 

Great, now he was starting to second guess his decision. Hell, he was starting to second guess this whole night. Fuck this wasn’t good. Rus and Blue hadn’t been dating for long, there were so many subjects they had yet to talk about. Was this overstepping some boundary they had yet to discuss?

 

Fuck! It had been so long since Rus was in an actual relationship. He wasn’t sure if he was doing anything right anymore. He wanted to keep Blue to himself at home where he would be safe. But what kind of boyfriend would that make him? Forcing Blue to do what he wanted because he was dissolving into an overprotective, nervous wreck...

 

Rus held the joint in his bony fingers, staring down at the only thing that would ease his nerves for the night, contemplating if smoking the joint would cause a fight with Blue and him.

 

It really wouldn’t be worth it if smoking the joint would cause unnecessary strain on their fresh relationship.

 

Blue meant way more to him.

  

Rus didn’t get to dwell on the subject for very long as the sound of keys jingling caught the skeleton’s attention. After a few moments the front door opened revealing an exhausted looking Blue.

 

Blue let out a small sigh before his cyan eye lights landed on the lengthy skeleton sitting on his couch. The sight of Rus perked the smaller skeleton up instantly. “Oh hey Rus! I didn’t see you in class, were.. you.. okay…?” Blue’s words trailed off as his eyes slowly scanned down to the joint in Rus’ hand.

 

Oh he could not be serious.

 

Blue’s cheeks puffed out, his bones tinting to the color of his magic as he crossed his arms and tapped his foot rapidly against the floor. He watched Rus shrink under his intense glare.

 

He couldn’t believe this!

 

Today had been a horrific day! First he learned about his school protecting a violent monster. Then he discovered monsters and humans are practically on the brink of war. Soon after that Fell had gone MIA, refusing to answer any text or calls, causing Blue to panic. Then finally he had to worry about going out to a club where there would be hordes of humans around, any one of them just waiting for the chance to kidnap him _yet again_.

 

He was at his breaking point.

 

Blue was beyond stressed, beyond exhausted, beyond done with the day. All he wanted to do was spend time with his boyfriend. When Blue saw that Rus wasn’t in class earlier he couldn’t help but soar with hope that maybe, just maybe the other skeleton had gotten sick. Of course Blue felt terrible for hoping that Rus was ill. What kind of boyfriend wished for their significant other to be anything but well? But if Rus wasn’t feeling well then that would give Blue a perfect excuse to skip out on Grilbz. He could stay home just like he wanted and nurse his boyfriend back to health. Honestly, dealing with a sick monster was much more preferable than going to Grilbz at this point.

 

But no.

 

Rus had skipped class to smoke pot.

 

It hurt. His own boyfriend would rather do drugs than go to his own lecture. Sure he wasn’t the most exciting professor and psychology wasn’t the most riveting subject… but still!

 

Blue wasn’t naive. He knew college kids skipped class and smoked pot. And honestly it didn’t bother him. But Rus wasn’t just any college kid, he was _his_ boyfriend. And it wasn’t just any class, it was _his_ class. The whole situation just seemed… like he was being taken advantage of.

 

Wasn’t that the whole reason MSU looked down upon teacher-student relationships? The thought never crossed Blue’s mind earlier, but now… it was very possible Rus could be using him. He knew the other skeleton was lazy, but he never would have thought Rus to be manipulative.

 

“Am I really that boring to you that you would rather skip class to get high?” Blue tried to sound scolding, but he couldn’t hide the hurt from his voice.

 

“What? No! Wait, Blue… this isn’t what you think.” Rus figured Blue wouldn’t approve of smoking weed, but this reaction was a little extreme.

 

Damn it. He managed to fuck up regardless.

 

“Then explain.” Blue began to fidget: moving his hands, tapping his foot, shifting from one leg to another. It was all he could do to keep from crying. He reached his breaking point. His whole world had been turned upside down in one day and it took all his strength to keep it together in class. But to come home to this? To discover that maybe Rus was just using him for an easy A? Blue couldn’t stop his emotions from bubbling up.

 

Rus let out a groan as he rubbed the back of his vertebra. He needed to be honest with Blue. He knew his boyfriend, and he knew Blue would go to the worst extreme if things weren’t explained properly. If he had learned anything in the short time with Blue, it had been communication was key. Blue was a great psychology professor, but he was probably one of the most impulsive, emotional monsters he knew. Rus couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony. If it were any other monster, Rus would think of them as a nuisance. But since it was Blue, he took his overemotional behavior as endearing. It was cute on the small skeleton.

 

Rus took a deep breath from his nasal hole before looking up at Blue. It took a moment of awkward silence for Rus to muster up the strength to speak to his boyfriend. “I didn’t skip your class to smoke pot. I skipped your class to go out and buy pot.” 

 

“Oh well that makes it so much better!” Blue couldn’t believe Rus’ audacity!

 

“Wait! I’m not finished-”

 

“I don’t need to hear it!” Blue huffed and started storming towards his bedroom. If he stayed any longer he’d start crying for sure. 

   

“Wait!” Rus stood and quickly wrapped his arms around the petite skeleton. He leaned down to hold Blue in a tight hug.

 

“I said… *sniff* no…” Blue conjured his tongue and bit down in hopes to hide his soft sobs. He tried to push Rus’ arms away, but it was a feeble attempt. After a few weak pushes, Blue gave up and hugged onto the long arms that encased him.

 

Today had been too much. Regardless of the circumstances, Blue needed Rus right now more than ever. Even if all Rus was doing was using him… 

 

Rus was shocked to see Blue dissolve into little hiccups and snivels in his arms. He didn’t think weed was such a sensitive topic for Blue. “Blue… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you… I just wanted to smoke to relax for tonight because I’ve been anxious thinking about going to Grilbz. I can’t stop thinking about the last time you were there. I… I guess it was selfish of me. I didn’t know you hated pot so much.”

 

Blue immediately froze, his soft sniffles fading away. “Wait… that’s it? You were nervous about tonight?” Blue quickly spun around in Rus’ arms to stare up at his boyfriend with wide sockets.

 

“Well… yeah? I mean, you were just kidnapped from there not too long ago. Why wouldn’t I be a little on edge?” Rus looked from side to side confused. Wasn’t Blue just pissed about this? Now he didn’t seem to care one bit. What was with the hot and cold attitude?

 

Blue could feel his teeth spreading into a wide smile as he jumped up and hugged Rus with all his might. The taller skeleton was caught off guard and stumbled back onto the couch, bringing Blue with him. Blue couldn’t stop the giggles from escaping as he nuzzled his boyfriend’s skull. “Oh I’m so relieved!”

 

“Good because I’m so confused.” All Rus could do was smile weakly and hug Blue as the other skeleton attacked his skull with affection.

 

“You don’t understand! I had the worst day dealing with the dean’s wife discovering that the school is protecting Doggo and protecting illegal activity then Fell got pissed now he’s missing and I think he’s going to do something stupid then I was worried about going to Grilbz because I really like you and I didn’t want to be that boyfriend that forced you away from your friends but I really am nervous about going because I don’t want to be around humans even though I know not all human are bad and speaking about humans I find out that monsters and humans are on the verge of war and it’s scary to think about and I don’t want to think about it and all I want to do is be with you then you weren’t at school so I thought you were sick but you’re not and you’re not using me for an easy A while you skip class which is a load off and I find you you’re nervous about Grilbz too and it makes me so relieved to know I’m not the only one and-“

 

“Whoa! Blue! Take a breath!” Rus chuckled feeling his skull spin with all the information Blue was spitting at him at rapid fire speed. He moved his hands up and down Blue’s spine, being sure to rub in between each ridge and groove. Now that he had a moment to calm down, he could see the stress and tension in his boyfriend’s small frame

.

What ever happened today really affected Blue.

 

Blue did as he was told, taking a few deep breaths as he relaxed to the soft caresses of Rus’ hand running up and down his spine. After a few moments he was able to completely melt into the touches, a soft smile spread across his skull. Blue couldn’t help but feel amused at the situation. He and Rus were practically polar opposites, but he found that he liked the slow relaxing pace of the lazy skeleton from time to time. 

 

Especially now.

 

It was like Rus knew exactly how to handle him.

 

“Now, explain again what’s going on, but slowly.” Rus clanked his teeth to the top of Blue’s skull, alighting a playful giggle from the smaller skeleton.

 

Blue proceeded to recount the events of the day to Rus. He explained everything from the meeting with Toriel, to Fell’s vague threat regarding Doggo, to his apprehension about going to Grilbz. All the while Rus stayed quiet and nodded along, only speaking up to ask a few questions here and there.

 

“I warned you about the school… How they are protecting Doggo…” Rus spoke softly once Blue was done explaining. Throughout the conversation, the two had maneuvered on the couch to sit more comfortably. Rus laid sprawled out across the length of the couch as Blue rested on the taller skeleton’s sternum. Blue kept his sockets closed as he listened to the soft pulses of Rus’ soul, the warmth of his magic comforting his overstressed bones.

 

“I know… I didn’t want to believe it…” Blue’s voice was soft and a little deflated.

 

“I’m sorry that it’s like this…” Rus didn’t know what else to say. Blue was always so hopeful and optimistic. Crushing Blue’s bright, cheery view of the world was like telling a small child Santa didn’t exist. He didn’t like seeing Blue like this.

 

Blue only nodded in reply, not sure what else to say. It was a lot of information to take in. Blue wasn’t sure if everything had even fully sunk in yet.

 

“So… do you not want to go to Grilbz tonight? Blue, you don’t have to go if you don’t want to.” Rus moved to the next topic of concern. About an hour had already passed. If they were still going to go to Grilbz, they would have to get ready and leave soon.

 

Although, Rus was more than ready to text the others that he and Blue couldn’t make it. He knew his friends might be disappointed, but in the end, he was sure they would understand.

 

“I… I want to go.” Blue balled his small hands into fists, clutching handfuls of Rus’ soft hoodie.

 

“Are you sure?” Rus propped himself up on his elbows as he looked over the skeleton before him. “You don’t have to force yourself for my sake, really.” Rus was a little concerned. Blue had just said he didn’t want to go. This was the whole reason he was hesitant to even talk to Blue. He didn’t want to pressure the other into doing something that he didn’t feel comfortable with. 

 

Blue looked up and smiled fondly at Rus. “I know. You aren’t the kind of monster to force me to do anything I don’t want to. But I want to do this for myself.” Blue sat up till he was straddling the taller skeleton’s waist as his sockets narrowed with determination. “I am scared about going, but… I don’t want my fear to control my life. I have to learn to deal with it sometime, right? The magnificent Blue doesn’t stand down from any challenge!” Blue grinned, his eye lights morphing into stars.

 

Rus smiled fondly at Blue’s confident display. It was endearing and honestly a little contagious.

 

“Besides, if anything happens this time, I know you’ll be there with me.” Blue looked down, a soft cyan color spreading across his cheeks.

 

Rus’ sockets widened a fraction before he huffed with a lazy smile. Blue already trusted and relied on him that much? He was touched. It wasn’t like Blue was wrong. There honestly wasn’t anything Rus wouldn’t do for the other skeleton. He would never admit it out loud, but Blue had him wrapped around his bony little finger. And well… he really didn’t mind it one bit. “You know it, babe. I’ll be there with you the whole time.” Rus winked playfully causing Blue’s blush to brighten.

 

“Well, I better get ready.” Blue jumped off of Rus’ lap and began making his way back to his bedroom where his costume was waiting. “Oh! By the way!” Blue yelled from the open door to his bedroom. “I may not approve of drugs, but I don’t mind if you do them. Especially if it will help you with your anxiety.”

 

Well that was a relief. Rus chuckled as he picked up the forgotten joint from the coffee table in front of him. “Hey if you need a little something to relax too you’re welcome to share this with me.” Rus called back with a little playfulness to his voice.

 

There was a moment of silence from the bedroom before Blue came back out dressed in his battle body costume, ready to go. “Nice try, but I know smoking is bad for your health.” Blue was reluctant to admit, but the idea of getting high to help to calm his nerves was enticing. Unfortunately, he wasn’t about to cast aside his health in order to do so.

 

Rus smirked as a devious idea hit him.

 

“What if there was a way you could have some without technically smoking this?” Rus wiggled his brow ridges at Blue causing the other skeleton to blush yet again.

 

“How’s that possible?” Blue eyed the other skeleton skeptically, his arms crossing in front of his chest.

 

“Would you do it? Answer first.” Rus insisted as he wiggled the joint in his bony fingers.

 

Blue’s cheeks puffed out slightly as he pouted at Rus’ allusive behavior. Would he really consider it? Any other day he would say no immediately. But, after today…

 

After he found out that his school wasn’t as safe or wonderful as he originally thought… After he found out that a student was forced to stay with his abuser. After he found out professors at his school had done terrible things to humans.

 

After he found out that everything he knew about MSU and monster politics were a lie…

 

You know what? What the heck! He deserved to relax! If it wouldn’t affect his health then why the heck not? He was a cool dude! He could party with the best of them.

 

“Yes.” Blue answered firmly. He was resolute with his decision, he wanted to do this. It was a much better option than getting drunk. And knowing his high tolerance to alcohol that may not even happen. On top of it all, Blue recalled the first time he and Rus really talked. It was a meeting after class. He remembered how Rus had called him “too innocent”. Well this would show him. He’d show Rus just how _innocent_ he was.

 

Rus chuckled and smiled at how confident Blue seemed with his idea. “Alright then. Come here.” Rus ordered Blue as he took his lighter and lit the joint in his hands.

 

Blue nodded and walked up to Rus who was taking a long drag on the couch. He watched with large curious eye lights. Sure he knew about this stuff, but he’d never seen it up close. Blue didn’t like to admit it, but he didn’t go to _that_ many wild parties in his college days.

 

After taking a long puff for himself, Rus looked at Blue who was watching him with interest. It was cute really. Blue was both so innocent and not innocent at the same time. It was fun discovering what things Blue hadn’t experienced yet. It almost felt like Blue was his adorable little brother, discovering new things from his experienced older brother.

 

Slowly, Rus took another long drag of the joint, and without wasting a moment, he grabbed Blue by the skull and crushed their teeth together in a deep kiss.

 

This caught Blue off guard. He gasped when he felt smoke fill his mouth along with Rus’ tongue. The smoke was rough and burned Blue’s nonexistent throat. Blue quickly pushed Rus away as he leaned over, overtaken by a coughing fit.

 

Rus smiled sympathetically as he gently rubbed Blue’s spine. “You got to take it slower babe.”

 

“I *cough* wasn’t *cough* expecting that.” Blue pounded on his sternum a few times till the tickle in his throat vanished and his coughing subsided.

 

“Sorry… May have been too fast with you.” Rus rubbed the back of his skull as he watched Blue collect himself. Rus had never actually done this with anyone before, so this was a first for him too. Both he and Blue were virgins in this sense.

 

“I… I wanna try again.” Blue looked up at Rus, smiling confidently to his boyfriend. Blue was many things, but there was one thing he wasn’t, and that was a quitter.

 

Rus raised a brow bone and smiled at his boyfriend. Blue was a determined monster… that was for sure.

 

“Alright.” Rus grabbed Blue and pulled him up onto the couch with him, setting him on his lap. He wrapped his long arms around Blue’s small frame as he nuzzled the side of his skull affectionately. “This time, inhale slowly...”

 

Blue shivered feeling Rus’ warm breath against his skull where his ear would be. Stars this was not helping.

 

After a moment Blue felt a bony hand slide up his shirt and rub slowly against his sternum. A soft glow spread across his cheeks as he realized Rus’ attempts to relax him where making him more and more excited. A single digit slid off his sternum and grazed against a particularly sensitive rib, causing Blue to bite back a moan.

 

Stars how long had it been since he had sex? Was he always this needy? Or was it because it was Rus…

 

Rus smiled as he felt a warm fuzziness wash over him. Normally he would be careful around Blue, not wanting to push anything onto the other skeleton till he was sure Blue was ready for it. It had been one of his biggest worries. Rus knew he had a reputation for being a bit of a slut. And he was positive Blue knew about it too. He wanted to make sure that he didn’t push anything with Blue. He didn’t want Blue thinking this relationship was purely sexual.

 

But right now, he wanted to ravish the other skeleton. The way Blue’s breath hitched in his throat, the way his hands came up to cling onto his shoulders, pulling him forward as if to edge him on, it was enticing. Blue was intoxicating.

 

Rus lifted the joint to his teeth and took another long drag.

 

This time, with slow movements, Rus cupped Blue’s skull and pulled him in for a deep, passionate kiss.

 

Blue shut his sockets tight as he inhaled the shared smoke. There was a soft burn, but it wasn’t nearly as bad as before. Before Blue could focus too much on the smoke, Rus’ tongue invaded his mouth and he felt his boyfriends magic slowly slide and dance with his. Stars, something about Rus’ magic finally touching his, no matter how small the gesture set his bones on fire. Blue let out a soft moan and noticed a bit of smoke escaping through their ever increasingly heated kiss.

 

Blue didn’t want this to stop.

 

Blue pressed himself as close as he could to Rus as he wrapped his arms around the taller skeleton’s vertebra. He was a fraction taller than Rus as he sat on his boyfriends lap, his legs spread on each side, causing Rus to lean his skull back as Blue tried to dominate the kiss.

 

Rus let out a pleased groan while he let all his will power drop. One hand searched and caressed every rib on his boyfriend’s body while his free hand moved to rub the other skeletons hip.

 

The stimulation was too much. Blue broke the kiss as he tilted his skull back letting out a pleased moan, his pelvis bucking forward, grinding against Rus’ in the process.

 

“Ah! F-fuck Blue…” Rus felt his own magic flooding his skull and crotch. At this rate his cock would be formed in no time.

 

“Language!” Blue suddenly snapped out of his dazed trance and shot Rus a scolding look.

 

Both Rus and Blue stared at each other in silence.

 

“Pfff… Hehe!”

 

“Mwehehe!”

 

In no time, Rus and Blue were holding onto each other as they both dissolved into snickers and giggles.

 

“Haha! Oh man! Blue you’re something else.” Rus tilted his skull back as he covered his sockets with his hand.

 

“What am I… a taco?” Blue’s grin widened as the two sat in silence once more.

 

After a moment the two skeletons fell onto the couch laughing mirthfully.

 

They were now officially late to Grilbz, both skeletons knew it. Yet somehow, the idea of going out to Grilbz wasn’t as appealing anymore.

 

“Hey, wanna order take out and watch scary movies?” Blue offered once he recovered from his laughing fit.

 

“What about Grilbz? Being brave and concurring your fear, ad your Battle Body?” Rus continued to lay lazily on the couch as he made no move to let go of his boyfriend.

 

“I’ll brave the humans another day. I think tonight… I want it to be just you and me.” Blue shifted his skull so he was facing Rus.

 

Rus didn’t respond. The taller skeleton simply smiled brightly and gave Blue a small kiss.  

 

_____________________________________________________

 

Papyrus kept quiet, his eyes glued on his phone as the other monsters around him shouted and yelled in drunken bliss. The football team was extra rowdy this evening as they traipsed across the now dark campus, dropping beer cans almost like a trail of alcohol.

 

It was way past the scheduled time for the party. Papyrus was beyond late. Which meant Sans was all alone at Doggo’s place.

 

All of this caused a nervous feeling to swell in Papyrus’ soul.

 

Sans had been less than pleased this morning to discover the Halloween party was being hosted by Doggo. Papyrus felt lower than low for hiding such an important piece of information till the last minute. He was sure Sans would yell at him, refuse to go to the party, and probably refuse to hang out with him anymore. He wouldn’t blame him. Sans seemed so… hurt. Betrayed.

 

But surprisingly, Sans still agreed to come.

 

Papyrus couldn’t express his gratitude enough over text, so he was hoping to see Sans quickly in the evening and thank him in person.

 

But Papyrus soon realized, that was not going to happen anytime soon.

 

When the football team said they would all go to the party as a group, he imagined everyone would show up at a carefully thought out meetup spot with a set time.

 

Instead, the team drunkenly hopped from teammate’s dorm to teammate’s dorm, picking up any member who hadn’t initially met up at the locker room. Taking much more time than initially thought. Each time the team would show up at another member’s house, everyone would be given a beer and of course that would ensue a conversation and the occasional arm wrestling match.

 

Papyrus sighed as he stared at his phone, waiting for Sans to text back. He had sent a message to Sans, notifying him that he would be a little late coming to Doggo’s, But Sans had yet to respond…

 

Papyrus felt his whole frame deflating. Not even his incredibly cool Battle Body could cheer him up. He had messed up big time today. That much was obvious.

 

“Jeez Papyrus, lighten up! It’s a party!” A teammate dressed in a toga costume grabbed Papyrus’ phone from his hand and placed a beer in the skeleton’s hold instead.

 

Papyrus gawked at his teammate’s rude behavior as he reached for his phone. “IT IS IMPOLITE TO KEEP PEOPLE WAITING! I WOULD NOT BE IN SUCH A FOUL MOOD HAD WE BEEN TO THE PARTY ON TIME.” After a few tries, Papyrus was successful in snatching his phone back.

 

An overly intoxicated Aaron then wrapped an arm around Papyrus’ shoulder, half way leaning on the skeleton for support. “Papyrus man, don’t you get it? We’re already having the party! You got to get a little drinks in before the main event.” The horse monster then grabbed Papyrus’ beer from his hand and downed the drink himself. Aaron finished with a belch and crushed the empty can against his forehead before yelling in drunken victory. His yell was met with other drunken cheers from the rest of the team.

 

Papyrus waved a gloved hand in front of his face to try and rid the smell of Aaron’s belch as she shoved the drunken monster off him. This night was quickly spiraling out of control. He didn’t like it one bit.

 

“Hey hey hey! Let’s not forget the most important people!” The toga wearing teammate shouted as the group stopped in front of a sorority house. “Hey ladies!”

 

Papyrus watched as a group of female monsters strode up to the football team. Some of them immediately latched onto player’s arms, while some graciously took the offered drinks. The guys quickly put on their A games as they started to flirt with the new members of their drunken horde, slowly making their way to Doggo’s apartment.

 

Finally, at least they were getting somewhere.

 

“Hey Papyrus!”

 

Papyrus turned to the sound of someone calling his name, his sockets widening when he came face to face with a fish monster.

 

This monster didn’t look like the stereotypical sorority girl. She had fiery red hair, sharp teeth that was pulled into a wide grin, and most notably an eye patch on her left eye. Although, she wore her hair down with her bangs covering the patch. Papyrus only noticed due to their close proximity. He could tell the eye patch was most likely a sensitive topic for the girl.

 

“OH, HELLO THERE. I’M SORRY TO ASK BUT… HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?” Papyrus felt a little embarrassed. Had he forgotten an acquaintance? That wasn’t like him at all.

 

The fish monster’s smile quickly faded as she stared at Papyrus, a bit of hurt seeping onto her features. “Wait… You mean you don’t remember me?”

 

Papyrus’ sockets widened and his soul sped up. Oh no. He had forgotten an acquaintance! This was unheard of! Papyrus made sure to remember all the people he met as any one of them could be a potential friend. “I AM TERRIBLY SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! I DO NOT NORMALLY FORGET FACES OR NAMES!”

 

The fish monster’s mood quickly shifted as she began laughing, holding up a hand to cover her mouth in the process. “Nah! It’s okay dude! You were pretty shit faced the first time we met.”

 

“OH DEAR… ONCE AGAIN, I AM VERY SORRY IF MY BEHAVIOR MAY HAVE BEEN LESS THAN APPROPRIATE…” Papyrus looked to the ground in shame as he wrung his gloved hands together. He had only been drunk twice, and each time he ended up losing control of his manors. He could only wish he hadn’t been rude or inconsiderate to the female in his inebriated state.

  

The fish monster’s good eye widened for a bit before she turned her head and looked to the side, a blush creeping onto her scales. “N-no it’s okay… Like I said, you don’t remember, it’s all good… You were pretty drunk, so I don’t blame you for not remembering the party after the homecoming game…”

 

Papyrus could only look over to the female with a mortified expression. That was the night Doggo had gotten him incredibly drunk at Grilbz. All he remembered from that evening was somehow making it to Sans’ apartment, then crawling into bed with the other skeleton, then…

 

Papyrus shook his head trying to rid his skull of those vivid, heated memories of that night.

 

“OH, HOW RUDE OF ME!” Papyrus suddenly chirped up, causing the fish monster to jump. “SINCE I DO NOT REMEMBER, I BELIEVE IT IS ONLY APPROPRIATE TO OFFICIALLY RE-INTRODUCE MYSELF!” Papyrus stopped walking and turned to face the fish monster directly. He smiled as brightly as he could and extended his hand. “I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS! IT IS A PLEASURE TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTANCE!”

 

The fish monster stared at Papyrus with a questioning look for a long while before a smile slowly spread across her sharp teeth. She reached out and shook the skeleton’s hand with a hearty laugh. “Nice to meet you too Papyrus! I’m Undyne!”

 

Papyrus felt himself laughing along with Undyne as the two shared in the hilarity of the moment. There were moments when the fish monster seemed shy and reserved, but then there were moments like these when the girl would let lose. Any monster who was willing to laugh at this kind of silly situation was obviously a good monster. Papyrus felt himself hoping that maybe, just maybe, they could be friends. 

 

“Hey Papyrus! You found your girlfriend I see!” The toga wearing teammate catcalled which caused the rest of the team to holler and whistle as well.

 

Papyrus couldn’t help but give the group ahead of them a questioning look. What did they mean by that? Wasn’t it common knowledge that he was committed to Sans?

 

As the group continued to laugh and make kissy sounds, Undyne reverted back to her shy demeanor, staring off to the ground with a blush on her scales once more.

 

Papyrus frowned noticing how his teammates were making Undyne uncomfortable. He was honestly a little embarrassed. He was trying to make a good impression in hopes of possibly gaining a friend, and here his team was teasing the poor girl just for shaking his hand.

 

“Please excuse my teammates…” Papyrus spoke with a subdued tone. His team was ruining everything tonight. First making him late to meet up with Sans, and now this.

 

“No, it’s okay.” Undyne waved her hand dismissively as she forced a smile. “We should probably get going though. The group is getting kind of far away.”

 

“OH! RIGHT!”

 

Papyrus walked beside Undyne for the rest of the way. He preferred the fish monster’s company over his drunken teammates immensely. As they walked and talked, Papyrus began to learn more about, dare he say, his new friend. Undyne definitely wasn’t like the stereotypical sorority girl, that was for sure. He learned that Undyne was studying to become a police officer, that she was a member of the school’s judo club, and that she liked to cook in her spare time. The more Undyne spoke, the more Papyrus’ eyes lit up.

 

Undyne was…

 

SO COOL!

 

Before long the two were trading phone numbers and chatting animatedly about recipes and favorite action movies.

 

Papyrus couldn’t help but beam with joy. He had found yet another friend who he really connected with.

 

Tonight was a great night!

 

_______________________________________________________

 

Sans sighed as he stared at his phone, debating whether he should text Papyrus back or not. He wasn’t going to lie, he was a little miffed this morning when Papyrus casually texted him Doggo’s address as if the fact that the Halloween party being hosted by Doggo was no big deal. Sure he never really explained to Papyrus why everyone hated Doggo, but honestly it wasn't exactly his place to say. Sans and Rus knew how sensitive Red was about the fact that Doggo used him as a living punching bag. It wasn’t their secret to tell. Even to Papyrus.

 

And now Papyrus was going to be late. On top of everything, Sans had to sit here in an apartment full of drunk jocks, waiting for Papyrus to show up.

 

Sans closed his sockets and rested his skull against the wall which was pounding with upbeat rave music. This really wasn’t much of a party anyway. Sans opened his sockets to take a look around the room. There was a beer pong table set up in the living room which was currently hosting its 13th match of the night, heavy liquor lining the kitchen countertops, and he could hear at least three sets of moans coming from Red’s room. Sans couldn’t help but wonder if they were having an orgy, or if the couples were too drunk to care that they were fucking in front of other people. In reality, this was just one giant drunk hook up. There were no games, no food, no fun. His “nerd” parties were way better than this.

 

Sans did his best to stay out of everyone’s way while he waited for Papyrus. He had yet to see Doggo, but that didn’t help the uneasy feeling growing in his soul just from being here.

 

“Yo, so uhh… what are you supposed to be?” A dog monster walked up to Sans, a beer in hand, causing the small skeleton to jump ever so slightly. Even though he was holding a beer, he didn’t seem that inebriated. He wasn’t wearing a costume either, instead the dog monster opted for his regular letterman jacket and jeans, giving off a more casual look. The dog monster also looked fairly well kempt. An odd site to see from a jock other than Papyrus. Sans would probably guess, other than him, this guy was the most sober monster in the apartment.

 

Sans recovered from the small startle and put on an easy grin as he outstretched his arms, showing off his skeleton onesie costume. “I’m me.”

 

The jock stared at Sans for a long while before bursting into a fit of laughter, almost dropping his beer in the process. “Oh man! I can’t tell if that’s the laziest, or most genius costume I’ve ever seen!”

 

Sans winked nonchalantly and shrugged his shoulders. “Why not both?”

 

The jock soon recovered from his fit of laughter and wiped a spare tear away from his eye. “You are awesome little man. What’s your name?”

 

“Sans. Nice to meet ya.”

 

“Oh hey! You’re Papyrus’ friend. Nice to meet you, Name’s Chad.” Chad proceeded to fist bump the small skeleton. A small gesture, but one of great importance. Especially coming from one of Papyrus’ teammates.

 

The thought caught Sans off guard. Even though he was still a little upset with Papyrus, and incredibly uncomfortable with the party, the whole reason he was here and putting up with this was for the other skeleton. Sans frowned recalling the conversation he, Rus, and Red had earlier, and how Red warned him about Doggo making Papyrus the social outcast of the football team if he wanted. Sans gave himself a mental pep talk as he hyped himself up for the impending socializing. He had to be on his best behavior and make Papyrus seem cool. Otherwise Doggo would single Papyrus out and make his life hell. Sans had to do his best to win these jocks over.

 

With newfound strength and courage, Sans forced a smile as he walked with Chad to a group of monsters playing beer pong. Sans gave a lazy wave and shot out a witty one-liner causing the group of football players to burst out in laughter before huddling around Sans, giving the small skeleton high-fives. Heh, bingo. He was going to charm the fuck out of these jocks.

 

He’d do it for Papyrus.

 

__________________________________________________________

 

“Yo the party posy is in the house!” The drunken toga wearing monster shouted as he kicked open the front door to the apartment. The rest of the occupants cheered, greeting the rest of their teammates as everyone filed into the cramped apartment.

 

Papyrus and Undyne walked in last, laughing together about a particular cheesy action movie they both saw. Once their laughter simmered down, Papyrus began to look around the apartment expectantly. He felt terrible for leaving Sans by himself at the party for so long. Now was his chance to find the other skeleton and apologize.

 

“Hey, what you looking for, Papyrus?” Undyne asked as she noticed her new friend scanning the crowded room with a worried expression.

 

“I’M LOOKING FOR SANS. HE GOT HERE BEFORE ME AND I’M WORRIED MY TEAMMATES… MAY NOT HAVE TAKEN TO HIM VERY WELL…” Papyrus continued to search, worry filling his skull the longer it took. He knew the football team wasn’t very kind to anyone outside their little circle, that’s why he wanted to be here with Sans early in the night in order to act as a buffer.

 

“Sans? Wait… you mean that other skeleton you kissed at the homecoming game?” Undyne asked, her voice getting softer with each word.

 

“YES, THAT’S HIM.” Papyrus beamed, a small blush glowing on his cheeks. He hadn’t meant to be so blazingly public with his affections. He recalled being too caught up in the moment to mind his surroundings.  

  

“So… is he like your boyfriend?” Undyne was now glancing at Papyrus through the safety of her bangs.

 

Papyrus’ blush began to glow brighter at the question. Sure he and Sans had been on a couple of dates, and sure he spent more time than not with the other skeleton, but he and Sans had never had the conversation. He wasn’t sure if they were official. It was always a subject he meant to bring up, but always lost his nerve whenever trying. He could tell Sans was skittish when it came to commitment. Whenever anyone called them a couple, Sans would never confirm or deny it. Instead he would change the subject by making a joke. Papyrus wasn’t dense, he had caught on fairly quickly how the idea of an official relationship scared Sans. That’s why he had been so patient and didn’t bother pushing the other skeleton into giving them labels.

 

“We are very committed to one another.” Papyrus answered vaguely, his tone dipping to a softer level. His cheeks continued to glow brightly. He was sure his magic was giving away his feelings.

 

“Oh…” Undyne responded softly as she turned to look towards the floor.

 

This caught Papyrus off guard. Why did Undyne seem upset by his answer?

 

The tall skeleton reached out a gloved hand, ready to ask if she was alright, when a particularly loud group of laughter caught both Papyrus’ and Undyne’s attention.

 

The two looked up and headed towards the commotion to find a group of football players all gathered on the small balcony outside. With a little maneuvering, the two slipped passed a couple team members to join the center of the group.  

 

There, to Papyrus’ surprise, was Sans.

 

Sans was sitting on the ledge with a couple other football players, laughing animatedly over what could only be guessed was a joke told by the smaller skeleton.

 

Sans froze from his laughter and looked up, a wide smile spreading across his skull as he spotted Papyrus. “Paps! You made it!” It looked as if Sans whole frame lit up.

 

Papyrus wanted to smile. He wanted to greet Sans back.

 

But right now, all he could do was eye his team member Chad wearily. Papyrus stayed silent as he looked at the scene before him. Chad was sitting close to Sans… a little too close for his liking, with one arm draped casually over Sans’ shoulder. Chad was leaning into the smaller skeleton, almost unnecessarily considering how close they already were. Papyrus could tell Chad wasn’t drunk. He wasn’t slurring his words, he wasn’t swaying back and forth. He was completely sober, yet he was clinging onto Sans like a lifeline. 

 

Papyrus couldn’t help but frown as an unpleasant feeling began to churn in his soul.

 

He didn’t like this. He had never felt this way before, and he wanted the feeling to stop.

 

“Paps? You okay?” Sans’ grin fell as he noticed the uncomfortable look on Papyrus’ face. He could easily tell there was something wrong, but should he ditch the group? Would that make the jocks upset?

 

You know what? No.

 

Fuck these jocks. Papyrus came first.

 

He had to make sure Papyrus was okay.

 

Without a word to the to the others, Sans quickly jumped down from the ledge and walked up to the other skeleton. Sans took Papyrus by his hand and lead him to a secluded corner of the apartment. Once alone, Sans reached up to cup Papyrus’ skull gently as he looked over the taller skeleton with worried sockets. “Papyrus, what’s wrong? Talk to me.”

 

Sans was starting to get worried. Had Doggo done something to Papyrus? Had the bullying already started? Was his schmoozing with the jocks all for not?

 

Papyrus on the other hand couldn’t think straight. All he could focus on was the uneasy feeling in his soul that grew the longer he looked at Sans and Chad. He had an idea what this feeling was, and he didn’t like feeling it one bit. He didn’t like how he was causing Sans to worry. He didn’t like how he was unable to act properly, completely taken back by that one image of the two.

 

Without thinking, Papyrus reached down and wrapped his arms around Sans, pulling the smaller skeleton into a tight hug.

 

“Uh, Paps? Whats-“

 

“I’m sorry for being late Sans…” Papyrus whispered next to Sans skull before burying his own into the crook of Sans’ neck. “I’m sorry for forcing you to be here…”

 

This was all his fault. Had he not forced Sans to be here, he wouldn’t have seen his teammate hanging all over the other skeleton.

 

“Papyrus… it’s okay…” Sans frowned as he realized in that moment he had never text papyrus back from earlier in the evening. Before he could decide what to text the other skeleton, Chad had come over and from that moment on Sans’ attention was all on getting the jocks to like him. Papyrus must have thought Sans was angry with him, or worse, ignoring him. Sans felt his soul ping with guilt. This was Papyrus’ night. This was all for Papyrus. He was here to make sure Papyrus had a good time and made friends. And now he had ruined that.

 

Stars he was such a fuck up…

 

“Papyrus… I’m sorry for not texting back. I wasn’t mad at you. I just got caught up chatting with some of your teammates.” Sans could feel the uneasy pulses coming off Papyrus’ soul. The feeling made his guilt grow as he wrapped his arms tightly around the taller skeleton, pulling him as close as he could. Sans willed his own magic to reach Papyrus in an attempt to ease his anxiety.

 

Papyrus could feel Sans magic reaching out to his soul. The gesture was both calming and endearing. Having Sans in his arms and feeling the other’s magic around him allowed Papyrus the chance to relax from his uneasy feelings. Papyrus’ worries melted away the longer he held onto the smaller skeleton.

 

Tonight had not gone as well as he had hoped. Everything went downhill from the very start, and honestly, Papyrus was about done with it all. Being with Sans helped affirm those feelings. He really didn’t care for this party anymore. He had made a friend, the one thing he had set out to do. And Sans seemed to have bridged the gap between nerds and jocks all on his own, so it looked as if that goal was reached. There was nothing left to do. All Papyrus wanted to do at this point was spend the rest of the evening with Sans, and the pleasant pulses from his soul seemed to agree with that thought.

 

“Sans… can we go home?” Papyrus asked as he continued to hold onto Sans as tight as he could.

 

“Home? But what about Doggo’s party?” Sans could feel his worry begin to grow. Had he somehow guilt Papyrus into wanting to leave?

 

Papyrus gently nuzzled Sans’ skull and planted a soft skeleton kiss to his temple. “I would much rather spend time with you than be here. Please…? Can we leave?”

 

Sans sighed but smiled none the less. He couldn’t help but feel a little warm inside knowing Papyrus would rather spend time with him than work on his jock status. The thought made him feel… important. Wanted.

 

“Okay babe, let’s head home.”

 

Sans and Papyrus finally let go of their hold and smiled to each other as they began heading towards the front door.

 

“OH WAIT! I SHOULD AT LEAST SAY HELLO TO DOGGO FIRST AND THANK HIM FOR INVITING ME BEFORE I LEAVE!” Papyrus paused before reaching for the door. Even though he wouldn’t be staying for the party, he didn’t want to seem rude or ungrateful.

 

“I don’t think that’s going to happen. No one’s seen Doggo all evening.” Sans shrugged as he tucked his hands into the pockets of his skeleton onesie.

 

“THAT’S ODD… THIS IS HIS PARTY. WHAT A TERRIBLE THING FOR A HOST TO DO!” Papyrus fumed as he placed his hands on his hips.

 

The nerve of that dog monster! He worried about this night for weeks, put together a rather impressive costume, and forced Sans to come all on Doggo’s request! Yet the monster in question wasn’t even here himself? Outrageous! Had this been Doggo’s plan all along? To try and waste the two’s first Halloween together? Papyrus shook his head, chastising himself for falling for Doggo’s trick. He could have been at Grilbz right now, having fun with Sans, Rus, Red, and Blue.

 

Speaking of Grilbz…

 

Papyrus stopped his internal angry monologue to look down at Sans. “WAIT, SHOULD WE HEAD TO GRILBZ INSTEAD?” Papyrus had already wasted most of the evening, and it was pretty late. He wondered if he had ruined both Doggo’s party and the outing in Grilbz. Papyrus felt his frame ready to drop. He had messed up everything this evening.

 

“Oh yeah, about that…” Sans chuckled as he pulled out his phone. “Rus texted me saying he and Blue couldn’t make it. And Red also Text saying he didn’t feel like going out anyway. So… I mean if you still want to go to Grilbz-“

 

“NO.” Papyrus was quick to respond which caused Sans to smile even wider.

 

Sans was glad they were on the same page. He was partied out. He would much rather be at home snuggled up with Papyrus on the couch, watching a horror movies till they fell asleep.

 

“Alright then. Let’s go home.”

 

Sans took hold of Papyrus’ hand and with a small *blip* they were gone.

 

________________________________________________________

 

Red grumbled as he paced across the large living room in Fell’s condo, his bony feet shuffling against the plush area rug. His anxiety was running high and his nerves were on high alert. Red knew something was strange when he discovered Fell had canceled class for the day. It wasn’t like his professor at all. Regardless of the red flags, Red had continued to work in the lab until evening. Only then did he decide he should head over to Fells in time to get ready for the night out at Grilbz. But once Red teleported, he found Fell’s condo was empty. No sign of the other skeleton what so ever. Red quickly looked around the luxurious apartment, checking every room including Fell’s study. There weren’t even papers set out to be graded. Needless to say Red began to worry. It was obvious Fell hadn’t been home yet. He quickly pulled out his phone and texted Fell, but he had yet to receive a response.

 

That was four hours ago.

 

With Fell missing, Red decided it was best he skip out on Grilbz. There was no way he was going to be able to enjoy the evening with his friends if he was worried about his professor the whole night. Red had texted Rus and Sans to inform the others that he wouldn’t be able to make it to the club. Luckily for him, his friends all seemed to have the same idea, each one canceling for their own reasons. Red was grateful for whatever turn of events caused everyone to cancel. It was one less thing to worry, or feel guilty about.

 

After checking his phone for the millionth time that evening, Red was about ready to go searching for Fell.

 

He knew Fell was a grown ass monster who could handle himself. Hell, he would be surprised if anyone, human or monster, gave Fell trouble considering how intimidating he looked. But he still couldn’t stop his worrying. Fell was a creature of habit and routine. Anytime anything came up that would possibly hold the other skeleton up at work, Fell was sure to text Red about it.

 

Yet here Red was, alone at Fell’s place, no word from Fell all day.

 

That was it.  He’d waited long enough.

 

Red turned on a heel and headed towards the laundry room. He was currently borrowing one of Fell’s crimson turtle necks which he was completely swimming in, but there was no way he was going to go out searching the university like this.

 

Right as Red pulled his uniform off its hanger, there was the sound of the front door opening across the condo.

 

“Fell?!” Red called out, the anxiety in his soul fading away.

 

In no time at all, Red dropped his uniform, forgetting the garment on the floor as he raced out to the main living area. He skidded to a halt, spotting Fell walking in with a large pizza box in hand.

 

“Evening Red. Sorry for being late. Since it’s too late to cook I got us pizza.” Fell casually strode in and set the pizza box on the kitchen counter.

 

Fell looked completely normal. He was dressed in his regular street clothes, a casual air about him. No hint of trouble what so ever.

 

“Where have you been!” Red flinched as soon as the words left his mouth. He hadn’t intended to raise his voice to Fell, but he couldn’t stop the worry from taking over and dripping out with every word.

 

Fell raised a brow ridge, ready to scold his pet for such brazen behavior until his eyes landed on Red’s trembling frame. The sight caught Fell off guard, causing his sockets to widen.

 

Red… had really been worried about him…

 

Fell felt his shoulders slump and his momentary anger fade. Red was just concerned about him, there was no reason to scold him. Fell didn’t know why, but for some reason, part of him was happy to see his pet so upset over him, but the other part… not so much. Fell didn’t like seeing Red revert back to his shy nervous behavior. Especially after all they’d been through together.

 

With a soft sigh, Fell slowly stepped forward and cupped Red’s skull in his hands, tilting his head up as he leaned down and placed a tender kiss on his pet’s teeth.

 

The gentleness of his master caught Red off guard. His bones stopped trembling as he looked up at Fell with wide sockets.

 

“I know you texted me, but I was busy. Sorry to have worried you.” Fell’s voice was gentle as his thumbs caressed the bones of Red’s cheeks.

 

Red felt his magic flood his skull, a blush glowing brightly from the foreign gesture. Fell was acting out of character all over the place today. But, somehow Red couldn’t find it in himself to mind. Especially not now.

 

“What were you busy with?” Red felt a little proud of himself that his voice didn’t tremble.

 

“I had business to take care of, that’s all.” Fell was done with the topic as he chose to crush his teeth Against Red’s in a deeper, more passionate kiss.

 

Red let the subject drop as he wrapped his arms around Fell’s neck, feeling his professor’s tongue work its way into his mouth and dominate the kiss. He sighed contently, letting Fell pick him up and carry him off to the bedroom.

 

“Where you waiting long for me my pet?” Fell grinned mischievously.

 

“Yes, Master…”  

 

Fuck going to Grilbz, this was a much better way to spend Halloween.

 

________________________________________________________

 

Chad frowned as he looked around the apartment. The party had died down and most people had either gone home or passed out. Those who were awake were talking quietly in pairs, making sure they didn’t disturb those who were asleep.

 

Chad couldn’t help but feel a little sad that he didn’t get to say goodbye to Sans. The small, nerdy skeleton turned out to be a pretty cool guy. He only wished that he could have spent more time with him, but he supposed Sans left just like many other party-goers.

 

Chad looked around the apartment one last time before pulling out his phone, ready to call a taxi to get a ride home, when all the sudden his phone began to buzz with an incoming call.

 

Chad looked at the caller ID with wide eyes.

 

It was Doggo.

 

The man of the hour had been missing all night, but everyone just figured he had picked up a chick and was getting lucky somewhere behind the bleachers at the football field. It wasn’t like they were going to interfere with Doggo and his sex life. Everyone on the team knew not to cock block the star quarterback.

 

Chad tapped his phone and held it up to his ear, speaking softly as to not arouse the sleeping monsters. “Yo Doggo, what’s up? Where you been?”

 

Chad listened for a while, his calm smile slowly fading into shock and panic.

 

“Hang on man I’ll be right there!” Chad quickly dashed out the apartment, no longer caring if he woke anyone up.

 

This was an emergency.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What is with everyone leaving perfectly good pizza to go have sex? ~(☉︵ ಠ)>


	19. Where It Started

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)  
> babypizzawonderland - [View Here](http://babypizzawonderland.tumblr.com/post/149599889407/tonight-you-lucky-people-get-a-progression-of)  
> coffeeyesman - [View Here](https://coffeeyesman.tumblr.com/post/149545985615/so-hyped-from-the-last-chapter-highly-recommend)  
> ember-witch - [View Here](http://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/149701515724/fan-art-for-sinnyskelles-fan-fiction-to-love) & [View Here](http://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/151611976384/another-fanart-piece-for-sinnyskelles-to-love)  
> bluetrashsins - [View Here](http://bluetrashsins.tumblr.com/post/150780954787/my-knights-resquing-their-damsels-in-distress)

 

Doggo huffed in amusement as two female monsters danced seductively on the coffee table in front of him. Loud upbeat rave music pounded through the walls of the small two bedroom apartment making it impossible to hear anyone talking, just the way Doggo preferred. The canine took a swig of his drink and let his sharp teeth spread into a wide grin as the two women’s dance slowly dissolved into soft caresses and tender looks. In no time at all, the women abandoned their dance as they lost themselves in passionate kisses and desperate wondering hands. Doggo lazed about on the couch, watching his private show with a wide smirk on his maw. He had hosted yet another successful Halloween party if he didn’t say so himself. The loud music, heavy booze, and hazy musk of sex in the air was enough to keep his mind occupied. It was best to have constant stimulation, or else his mind would wonder to his roommate…

 

No! No thinking about Red.

 

Tonight he had to stay focused. It was the big night he’d execute his plan for Papyrus.

 

Papyrus… Doggo practically growled at the name.  

 

That two-bit football player. That goofy little freshman. That fucking skeleton who associated with Red and his nerdy ass science friends!

 

“GOD DAMN IT!” Doggo fumed as he chucked his beer across the room, the bottle smashed into a million tiny shards while foamy suds slid down the wall.

 

The occupants of the party all stopped and stared at Doggo with wide eyes. The silence in the apartment overpowered the loud music, making the awkward air almost palpable.  

 

Doggo felt sweat bead down his skin under his fur. Shit, he needed to mend the situation, _now_. “Heh, god damn it we’re out of beer. I’m gonna grab us some more, keep this party rollin!” Doggo flashed an easy grin as he stood and shoved his paws into his letterman jacket.

 

The party-goers immediately relaxed and began cheering for Doggo as the star quarterback made his way through the groups of people and out the front door.

 

Once Doggo had the door to the apartment closed behind him, he leaned against the frame and let out a relieved sigh. That was close, a little too close. But lucky for him all the people inside were idiots and didn’t even notice that they were chock full of beer.

 

Doggo decided since he was already outside it was best to get some fresh air to clear his head. The dog monster descended the stairs to the ground level of the apartments and began strolling along the sidewalks.

 

After thirty minutes of silent, aimless walking, Doggo finally allowed his mind to wonder back to Red. He wasn’t going to lie, he was a little disappointed that Red hadn’t come home in time for the party. Although… It wasn’t like Red was invited anyway, but still, he was looking forward to messing with the small skeleton.

 

Doggo sighed as he let the cool night air rush through his fur.

 

Having Red missing didn’t really matter anyway. It wasn’t like tonight would be any different. Red hadn’t been home in a long time. Doggo glared off into the distance as he realized Red was probably hanging out with his science fuck buddies. Where else would he be?

 

Doggo would never admit it out loud, but he counted the nights Red wasn’t home. Some evenings, he’d stay up late in hopes that Red would show, but Red coming home was becoming more and more of a rare occurrence. In fact, Doggo wouldn’t be surprised if Red never came home anymore. Especially after their last encounter…

 

Doggo growled at himself in frustration as he ran a paw over his face. He had promised himself that he would handle Red differently. After Red being gone for so long, Doggo knew something had to change, and his attitude was most definitely the first thing that had to go. Having his roommate gone for so long gave him the time to cool down and think things over. And he realized… he just wanted Red back…

 

But of course the one night Red did come back the skeleton caught him in an awkward situation, got snippy with him, and made him lose his cool.

 

It wasn’t how he wanted things to go down.

 

Doggo found a secluded alley and decided to take a rest. He leaned up against the wall as he closed his eyes, breathing in the cool night air. It did little to relax his burning anger that he had for himself.

 

Things between him and Red had gotten so fucked up. He wished he could go back in time. Start over. Back to when he first met Red.

 

Doggo recalled the first time he and Red met.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Doggo ran across the football field, chasing the ball when all the sudden he got tackled, _hard_. A slip up on his part, but one that he would never forget. A stupid freshman had been running equipment across the field at that exact moment, ignoring that active practice was going on. Doggo recalled something sharp and metallic slashing across his face, and before he even hit the ground, everything went black.

 

When Doggo came to, he silently panicked. Everything was completely blurry. More than usual.

 

He was blind.

 

All his teammates gathered around him and so did the coaches, all of them fussing over Doggo. They pestered him with questions asking if he was okay, if he could stand, how many fingers they were holding up.

 

Doggo knew right then and there that if anyone knew he was blind, there went his chances to be a star quarterback. He’d be put up for medical examination and they’d discover he had a pre-existing vision problem. And now, that vision problem had been enhanced tenfold. His dreams of being a famous athletic hero for all monster kind was hanging in the balance.

 

He had skillfully faked his initial physical exam when first joining the team. It was the only way he could play football. He knew he could see fine as long as people moved, his vision was odd like that. Whenever people were standing still, things were only slightly blurry, but he also knew the coaches wouldn’t listen to him. He had to take matters into his own hands to ensure that he could play, to show them how good of a player he was. But now… he was practically 100% blind. He had worked so fucking hard for this! He wasn’t going to give it up now!

 

Doggo put on his best fake smile and waved his paw dismissively. He reassured everyone that he was fine and that he’d go home and rest for the rest of the day if it would get everyone to shut up and stop worrying over him.

 

The team agreed and allowed Doggo to head home.

 

It was hell getting home. He couldn’t see shit, and he was sure he walked into at least three wrong apartments before getting it right and finding his own. It didn’t matter though, he’d do anything to hide his disability, even if it meant dealing with his injury on his own.

 

Once inside Doggo let out a frustrated yell and collapsed on the couch. “Things couldn’t possibly get any worse.” He muttered lifelessly into a couch cushion.

 

“Um… h-hello?”

 

Doggo’s ears twitched as he shot up and looked around the apartment frantically. Fuck! Had he gone into the wrong apartment _again_?

 

“Are y-you Doggo?” The timid voice asked. It seemed to be getting closer.

 

“Yeah… Who are you? Am I in the right apartment?” Doggo sat up straight and resigned himself to his blindness. He figured he wouldn’t move and just let the other person come to him if they wanted.

 

“Oh yeah, y-you’re in the r-right apartment… Um, I’m Red. I’m your new r-roommate.”

 

Doggo felt a little huff of amusement tickle his throat. His new roommate sounded awfully shy. It was kind of cute really. He’d be sure to show the new guy around, maybe introduce him to the football team. He could help with his shyness. He was his roommate after all, and everyone said your college roommate would become your best friend for life. Doggo felt his tail begin to wag at the thought. Sure he had friends and party buddies, but he was excited to make a close best friend. Someone he didn’t have to be fake around.

 

“Oh s-shit! You’re bleeding!”

 

Doggo heard small, light footsteps pad away before running back to him. Hm, this guy must be tiny too. Even cuter.

 

Doggo could only focus on the sound of a plastic container opening and the ruffling of cloth. He wasn’t sure what was going on till he felt a small sting on his eyes. Doggo hissed in pain and flinched back.

 

“S-sorry! I should have w-warned you first. This is g-going to sting a little… But I’ll b-be gentle, I promise…”

 

Doggo relaxed at Red’s words and nodded his head, trusting his new roommate. After a little pause, he felt small, light dabs on his face. Now that he wasn’t freaking out, he could tell Red was dabbing ointment on him. The medicine was cool and soothing on his burning skin where he could only imagine was a large gash. Doggo felt his whole frame relaxing as he allowed his new roommate to care for him.

 

He _just_ met his new roommate, but it seemed as though this monster was genuine. Doggo couldn’t help but feel lighter at the thought. It was like the universe heard his prayers and sent him a friend, someone who wasn’t fake, someone who was down to earth.

 

After a while of careful cleaning, Doggo’s eyes widened as his vision slowly began to return.

 

In no time at all, Doggo could see Red clearly in front of him. The small, nervous skeleton was trembling lightly, helping make Doggo’s vision completely clear.

 

Doggo couldn’t help but watch Red as he worked, gently tending to his wounds. He knew there was a blush forming on his cheeks, but he was thankful that his fur hid the evidence.

 

His new roommate was shy, small, cute, and caring. Hell he was downright adorable. Sure Red had a few nicks and scars on his bones that he could see due to his taller height, and he had a fake gold tooth sharpened to match the rest of his teeth, but regardless of all the scars and gruff outward appearance, Doggo thought Red was… beautiful.

 

“Thank you…” Doggo said quietly, not trusting his voice to say much else.

 

Red flinched at the compliment and looked up into Doggo’s eyes with his wide sockets. After a few moments of shock, Red smiled brightly.

 

In that moment, Doggo felt his soul pulse sending tingles of warm pleasant emotions through his body.

 

He wasn’t sure what this new feeling was, but he was certain he was glad Red was his new roommate.  

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Doggo let out another sigh as he rubbed his chest where his soul lay safely inside him.

 

After that first encounter, he and Red got along great. The beginning of their friendship was more than ideal. He learned all about Red’s past, his likes, his dislikes, and in return Red knew all about him. Red was the first and only monster he ever opened up to. The more Doggo spent time with Red, the more his soul continued to flutter. To say Doggo had fallen in love with Red was an understatement.

 

He didn’t care that Red was a science major and he was an athlete, his popularity be damned. All that mattered to him from that point on was Red.

 

Once he realized his feelings, Doggo wanted to ask Red out, but it was all about finding the right timing after that.

 

Doggo felt his soul clench painfully as he recalled the day he decided he would confront Red about his feelings. He was walking to the science building, ready to catch Red right after class and pour his soul out then and there, when he noticed Red walking with two other skeletons. The sight shocked Doggo. Red was normally too shy to talk to anyone.

 

Before Doggo could walk up to Red and ask to speak to him privately, a fellow teammate walked up to his side and wrapped his arm around his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks. Doggo looked to his side and was greeted by Chad’s friendly smile. Chad then turned his attention to the three skeletons Doggo was staring at and an amused smiled spread across his face.

 

**_“Oh you know those three? I hear they all fuck each other in the labs when they think no one’s around. Crazy right? Who knew science nerds had it in them?”_ **

****

Doggo felt his soul drop.

 

Chad proceeded to explain the rumors everyone had heard about the skeletons. How they were caught in the labs, the storage closets, in the basement. He related to Doggo the validity of the rumors due to most of them coming from science professors and school faculty themselves.

 

After a while, Doggo stopped listening. All noise around him faded to a soft muffling as he watched Red smile and laugh with the other skeletons. The tall one lit a cigarette as the other small one wrapped their arm around Red. Red’s skull flushed with a bright crimson blush at the touch and Doggo’s blood began to boil.

 

In that moment Doggo realized Red wasn’t who he thought he was. Red wasn’t some shy, kind monster. He was a _slut_ who put on an act to get what he wanted, when he wanted.

 

Doggo turned and left Chad without a word as he made his way home, silently.

 

After stewing over the events of the day, Doggo began to get more and more irate. How could he not see how fake Red was? How could he have opened himself up to such a _monster_? Doggo’s soul pulsed painfully as he thought about Red’s smile when he was with the other skeleton monsters. He loved him… he loved him so much… but Red turned around and fucked those _nerds_ instead!

 

Doggo screamed in pain and anger as he flipped the coffee table in front of the couch, breaking it in the process.

 

Right in that moment, Red teleported home.

 

The small skeleton flinched when finding the apartment in disarray.

 

As soon as Doggo locked eyes with Red, he snapped…

 

That was the first of many times Doggo attacked Red.

 

Doggo looked up at the night sky as he continued to rub his chest where his soul sent painful pings throughout his body.

 

Everything was messed up. He wished he could reset time.

 

Doggo moved his paw from his chest and reached into his letterman jacket, pulling out the tattered remains of Red’s collar. He rubbed his thumb across the frayed cloth where he had slashed at the collar off the smaller skeleton’s neck. His eyes narrowed and his hold on the collar tightened. Not only was Red fucking around with his science nerds, he was someone’s _pet_ too. Just when he had come to terms with Red’s promiscuity, the fucking skeleton decided to take things up a notch.

 

It’s like Red did this on purpose just to spite him.

 

“That fucking little-“

 

“I take it you must be Doggo.”

 

Doggo flinched and looked up to find the source of the voice.

 

There, at the entrance of the alley was a tall, menacing looking skeleton monster. This skeleton looked an awful lot like Red from his crimson eye lights, to his sharpened teeth. The only difference was the thin scar along his right eye socket, and the fact that this skeleton wasn’t nervous. Instead, the intimidating skeleton monster oozed confidence. Doggo felt a chill run up his spine. The stranger was dressed in a spiked black leather jacket and dark leather pants which gave the monster a more dangerous look.

 

Was this some sort of gang member? Doggo huffed to himself. It didn’t matter, he could take him. He was in the mood to beat someone up. This punk came at the perfect time.

 

Fell’s eye lights trailed over the dog monster before him till they landed on the spiked red collar in Doggo’s paw. Fell’s sockets narrowed as his magic began to boil. Wisps of crimson smoke began to emanate from his right socket as he stared down Doggo. “So you’re the one that’s been attacking Red.”

 

Doggo flinched at the skeletons words. Was this another one of Red’s science fuck buddies? How many skeletons were there at this school! Damn did Red get around fast! Doggo took a moment to collect himself before plastering a convincing smirk on his face as he turned to confront the new skeleton head on. “What’s it to you?”

 

Fell’s hands clenched into tight fists as he glared harshly at the cocky mutt. “I don’t take kindly to others messing with my property.”

 

Doggo gaped at the tall skeleton in front of him. So this was the one who collared Red? This was the one who dared claim Red for themselves?

 

Slowly, Doggo began to chuckle. The laughs were soft at first, but quickly dissolved into loud barks of hysteria. Doggo wrapped his arms around his stomach as he leaned over with laughter.

 

Fell didn’t move, but he kept his guard up. It was easy to see this monster was mentally unstable. Looking at Doggo now, Fell realized how dangerous the situation for Red was. He was grateful that he had been able to get Red out when he could.  

 

Doggo finally finished his laughing fit as he wiped a stray tear away. This was all too perfect. The universe was giving him his revenge. Practically serving it to him on a silver platter. There was no way he was going to miss out on this perfect opportunity.

 

“So buddy, I take it you got my _message_?” After calming down from his fit of laughter, Doggo plastered his trademark smirk on his face. The canine lifted the tattered remains of Red’s spiked collar and dangled the accessory in front of Fell, tauntingly. “I have to say, for a skeleton monster his bones didn’t taste all that great.”  

 

Fell’s composure cracked for a moment and he had to stop himself from lunging at the mutt right then and there. His fists shook at his sides with pent up rage as he tried to keep the jock from getting the best of him. Fell knew for some reason he always lost his cool when it came to Red, but right now was not the time to slip up. He had to stay focused.

 

“What? Nothing to say to that? You don’t want to ask about how Red cried when I bit him? Or begged me to leave his precious collar alone?” Doggo chuckled as he began tossing the collar up and down in the air.

 

Fell let a low growl slip past his clenched teeth as he watched the Dog monster imitate Red begging for his abuser to stop. He needed to hold back, just a little longer. He needed to wait for the perfect opening.

 

“Heh, he is quite the cry baby. I wonder how bad he’d cry if I went all the way… Give that bag of bones a bone of my own!” Doggo held Fell glare as he rubbed the broken collar against his clothed crotch. He wanted a fight, but he wanted the skeleton to make the first move. Doggo could tell he was getting to the other monster. It was only a matter of time till they snapped. “I bet he’d like it rough. I bet he’d even beg for my-“

 

Doggo didn’t get the chance to finish his sentence as a flurry of red bones began flying towards him. The canine had only moments to duck and roll, hitting the wall of one of the buildings that made up the small alleyway. 

 

Perfect! Now he could claim self-defense to the school _and_ kick this guy’s ass.

 

Doggo grinned as he lunged forward and swung towards the tall skeleton.

 

Fell side stepped and blocked the punch with a conjured femur bone. He kept his harsh glare on the student, but otherwise kept his composure. If he let lose his magic, he couldn’t be certain the student would live.

 

Doggo growled as his right hook was blocked. He began an assault of punches left and right, all of them blocked by one bone after another.

 

“Why don’t you fight me with your fists instead of using your magic?!” Doggo yelled as he jumped back, frustrated with the match.

 

“What, a monster who can’t use magic?” Fell teased as he gave a knowing smirk to Doggo. He could tell that the canine wasn’t as adept to magic as he was, and he was using it to his advantage. Fell knew Doggo relied on his brute force, but also knew that solely relying of physical strength was the dog monsters downfall. With a little more taunting, he could cause Doggo to drop his guard. “I thought mutts like you loved bones.”

 

Doggo snarled in anger as he lunged at Fell yet again. How fucking dare this stupid skeleton rub his lack of magic skill in his face. All he needed to do was add another crack to his skull to prove to him all he needed was his fists.

 

Once again Fell blocked all attacks with his bone constructs. Fell could see that Doggo was beginning to lose his patience with each swing. Just a little more…

 

“Fight me like a man and lose the magic weapons! Or maybe I should visit Red and show him what a real man is?” Doggo smirked as he reverted back to jabs at Red, knowing that just mentioning the smaller skeleton caused a reaction out of the stranger.

 

Fell flinched and glared daggers at Doggo as the magic smoke emanating from his socket began to grow. Fine, if this fucking mutt wants to get hurt so bad, then so be it. The bones were for Doggo’s safety, not his.

 

Fell then stepped back and allowed his bones to disappear. He stood still, waiting for Doggo’s attack.

 

‘Finally!’ Doggo grinned as he lunged at Fell, throwing back his right fist ready to give his punch as much strength, weight, and speed as he could.

 

*CRACK*

 

Doggo’s eyes widened as it took a while for the situation to catch up to him. In a blink of an eye, Fell had dodged the punch and caught the dog monsters arm in his hand. Without missing a beat, Fell twisted the arm, breaking it with a satisfying crack.

 

As soon as the shock wore off, Doggo began to scream in pain.

 

Fell let go of the dog monsters arm and watched unsympathetically as Doggo stumbled down onto the grown, holding his broken right arm. Fell could see the bump where the jagged broken bone threatened to break through the flesh.

 

“FUCK! WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE! I’LL HAVE YOU KICKED OUT OF SCHOOL YOU MOTHER FUCKER!” Doggo howled in pain as he rolled on the ground, unable to stop the agony radiating from his wound.

 

Fell huffed in amusement and leaned against the wall of the alley with his arms crossed over his chest. “You can’t have a professor kicked out school you fucking moron.”

 

Doggo flinched and held still the best he could.

 

Wait a minute. The one who had collared Red was a professor?

 

Doggo looked up at Fell with wide, shocked eyes. “You… you can’t do this! You can’t attack a student like this! I’ll have you fired!”

 

Fell’s eye lights brightened and his sharp smirk widened at Doggo’s desperate threat. “Oh Really now?” With a quick wave of his hand, Fell summoned a sturdy femur bone to his hand and began bouncing it up and down like a baseball bat.

 

Doggo felt a tremor of fear shoot up his spine and he began desperately trying to scoot away from the professor.

 

“You know better than anyone how to manipulate the school when it comes to getting them to look the other way regarding violence.” Fell said in a taunting tone as he slowly stepped forward, crowding the frightened jock like a trapped animal. “So you know as well as I do, they won’t do anything about this. A professor attacking a student! Scandalous!” Fell mocked as he continued to advance on Doggo. “All I have to do is threaten to go public myself and they’ll piss themselves to try and cover this up.”

 

Doggo began to shake as Fells words rang home. He knew MSU did anything and everything to keep up appearances. Hell, that’s how he had blackmailed the school in keeping Red his roommate all this time. If push came to shove, the school would stand behind a professor over Doggo any day. He had already caused enough trouble, they would probably be glad to get rid of him. If ignoring the assault meant MSU could still look friendly and safe to humans, the dean’s wife would look the other way without a second thought.  

 

Doggo looked up at Fell and saw that even though his tone was mocking, his face was completely serious. This professor was willing throw everything on the line. It was like this professor didn’t even care for any consequences. Doggo had nothing to hold over the skeleton.

 

“I think it’s safe to assume you know now to never go near Red ever again, but… I still have to pay you back for all those black eyes and broken ribs you gave my pet.”

 

Doggo began to hyperventilate as he shook his head, desperately trying to scramble away. He had never been in this kind of situation before. He felt weak, powerless, and he needed to get the fuck out of here! Before getting too far, a wall of bones shot up from the ground to block his path. Doggo looked back at the tall, menacing skeleton just in time to see the femur bone come down and strike him.

 

___________________________________________________________

 

Rus let out a long sigh as he flopped his skull down onto the table in front of him. Sans ignored the ongoing lecture as he folded a piece of notebook paper into a paper airplane, all the while Red continued to jot down detailed notes. The three sat quietly as the chemistry professor at the front of the class continued on writing equations onto the whiteboard, oblivious to the rest of his student’s disinterest.  

 

Rus then lifted his head slightly, taking a quick scan around the room to make sure most of the students were zoned out and not paying attention. Once he deemed the coast was clear, the turned his head towards his friends. “Psst, guys, I got a question for you.” Rus whispered as he kept his head low, not wanting to draw attention to their table.

 

Both Sans and Red looked up from their tasks to give Rus a questioning look.

 

“What’s a good idea for a date?” Rus blurted.

 

Sans and Red immediately began to glow their respective colors as they suddenly began to fumble with what seemed to be an invisible object.

 

While they weren’t completely ignorant to relationships and romance, both were incredibly inexperienced with ‘official’ dating. That included proper dates. Having Rus ask such a question all the sudden caught the two smaller skeletons off guard.

 

“Why are you asking us?” Sans looked to the side with a mortified look.

 

“Yeah, what the hell is with that question all the sudden?” Red tried not to let his mind wonder to cliche dates he always read about in old English romance novels. Unfortunately, Red couldn’t stop his imagination from inserting Fell as Mr. Darcy and the mental image caused his crimson blush to glow ten times brighter.

 

“Well I’ve been thinking… Blue and I always have movie nights as his place, but we have yet to go on an official date. I don’t know, I feel like Blue is the kind of guy to expect more out of a relationship and after what happened on Halloween, I feel like I’ve been lacking in the boyfriend department.” Rus admitted as he crossed his arms on the table, using his folded arms as both pillows and a hiding space. Rus hoped that the others didn’t notice the light orange blush staining his cheeks.

 

Rus couldn’t help but wonder if he was doing the whole relationship thing incorrectly. It had been such a long time since he had been in a legitimate relationship that he practically forgot what it was like to go on a real date. At Halloween, Rus had been completely oblivious to Blue’s aversion to going to Grilbz, showing that he had not been observant enough to his boyfriend’s emotions. Then in the end, the two ended up staying at home watching movies _yet again_. Rus couldn’t help but feel like he was a dull boyfriend.

 

After hearing Rus’ explanation, Sans averted his gaze down towards the table. Now that he thought about it, he and Papyrus hadn’t actually gone on that many dates either. One of the two dates was an at home cooking lesson and he wasn’t sure if that actually counted. The realization made him feel guilty. He hadn’t even called Papyrus his boyfriend yet. What the hell was he doing? Sans felt the guilt well up in his soul as he realized his baggage from his past relationship was most likely affecting his relationship with Papyrus. Even though Papyrus had not pushed Sans into giving their relationship a label, he was sure the other skeleton was concerned about it. Papyrus was just too nice and sweet to say anything.  

 

Sans let out a soft sigh as he rested his cheek on one of his hands. “You and me both Rus. I don’t know what a legitimate date would be.” Sans recalled all the nights he spent with his past relationship in heated intimate moments, none of which ever included a date.

  

Red looked over at his friends and frowned. He had the least experience with relationships out of all three of them, but if given the opportunity, he was sure he would be able to come up with something. Reading so many romance novels had some perks in that regard. He felt bad for his friends. Red didn’t want to be made fun of for his knowledge on romantic dates even though he lacked the personal experience, but he figured he could put his fear aside to help the guys out.

 

After taking a moment to steal himself from his worries, Red took a deep breath and turned to address his friends.

 

“Rus, knowing Blue you should probably take him out on a more classic date. Dinner and shopping. You know, since you guys already do the whole dinner and a movie thing at home. Take him out on the town, I bet he’d enjoy that. Anything that involves parading you two around as a couple.” Red offered as he held back a chuckle at the idea of Blue introducing Rus to everyone in town as his boyfriend.

 

Rus slowly sat up and his sockets widened. “Red… that’s a great idea.”

 

Red smiled at the praise and immediately turned towards Sans, riding on his confidence high. “And Sans, take Papyrus out somewhere fun. The guys got more energy than a freaking solar power plant. And when you’re there, I don’t know let him know you two are official. Stars knows the poor fella has been dying to hear it.”

 

Sans smiled softly and nodded. Red was right. He needed to sort out his feelings and give Papyrus a proper answer about their relationship status. It was the least he could do.

 

“Geez Red, dating an older guy sure has made you mature.” Rus teased as he wiggled his brow bones.

 

Red’s confidence high immediately vanished and the small skeleton turned his head down, his cheeks dusting with a soft crimson glow. “Fell and I aren’t dating.” He whispered almost too softly to hear.

 

Both Rus and Sans shared a concerned look with each other. Neither one wanted to say it, but they both knew something strange was going on between Red and Fell. It was strange to them that Red was so averse to identifying his relationship with Fell, always denying any romantic intentions.

 

Before either could question Red about his comment, the professor turned towards the class and announced a group activity. Sans and Rus decided it was best to hold off on confronting Red till later as the three skeletons moved towards the back of the room to gather the supplies for the group activity. 

 

_______________________________________________________

 

Red hummed happily to himself as he stood at the stove in the kitchen, waiting patiently for the water in the kettle to heat up. His phone laid face up on the counter as he occasionally glanced at the group texts between him, Sans, and Rus. His friends were excited to announce Papyrus and Blue seemed happy with the idea of going on official dates. In fact, the two were ecstatic. Red couldn’t help but smile proudly at the messages. He had been able to help his friends out, and that meant the world to him. Red couldn’t help but feel more and more confident with himself. His whole life seemed to be making a 180 turn for the better, and he couldn’t help but beam with joy.

 

As the kettle began to whistle, Red grabbed hold of an oven mitt to carefully lift the kettle off the burner. As he got the tools ready to brew the loose leaf tea, his phone binged announcing another text message.

 

Fell slowly entered the kitchen upon hearing the kettle whistle and stood still as he watched Red hum happily to himself, blissfully unaware of his presence. Fell couldn’t resist the amused smile that spread across his teeth as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, watching the smaller skeleton work. He couldn’t lie, he enjoyed watching Red open up more and more in his home. It showed that his pet was becoming increasingly relaxed with his new living arrangement.

 

Right as Red was about to pour the tea leafs into the strainer, he noticed Fell out of the corner of his eye, causing him to jump. “Geez! Fell you scared the skin right off me.” Red chuckled softly as he rubbed his sternum to calm his rapidly fluttering soul. Honestly, Fell startling him wasn’t the only reason his soul began to flutter. Red didn’t want to admit it out loud, but lately being around Fell in any capacity had his soul speeding up. Although, he felt it was best to push down the nervous feelings and try not to dwell on them. His life was going great, no reason to complicate and ruin things.

 

Fell raised a brow bone at Red’s obvious pun and tried to hold back a small chuckle. He was sure a little slipped out, but he was also sure that Red wouldn’t dare call him out on laughing at his horrendous jokes. “What are you making?” Fell decided to avert the conversation, not wanting to enable Red’s puns.

 

“Jasmine tea, you want any?” Red relaxed and smiled up at fell, a small dusting of crimson gracing his cheeks.

 

“I’d love a cup.”

 

Red nodded and made his way to another pantry which housed the mugs, looking for the cup he knew Fell preferred to drink out of the most.

 

As Fell watched Red tip toe up to the mug pantry, several beeps from Red’s phone caught the taller skeleton’s attention. Fell looked down and noticed Red’s phone laying face up on the counter, the screen shining brightly with new text messages from Sans and Rus. Without another thought, Fell picked up Red’s phone and began looking through his pet’s text chain.

 

As soon as Red turned around, he about dropped the two cups in his hand. Red scrambled and was able to save the mugs, pressing them to his chest as he looked up at Fell with wide sockets. Stars no! There were some incriminating texts in that group conversation that were not meant for Fell’s eyes!      

 

Once Fell was done scrolling through the text, the taller skeleton looked up from the phone spotting Red’s nervous stare. “You’ve never been on a date?”

 

Red’s eye lights vanished and he felt his skull begin to glow with his magic. Fuck! That’s what he was hoping to keep from Fell! In no time at all, Red averted his gaze as he began to fidget with the sleeves of his borrowed night shirt, a task which showed to be a little more difficult as he tried to keep from dropping the two mugs in his hands. “W-well I… I mean… I’m b-busy with school, a-and dating is… well…”

 

Red didn’t want to admit that dating was completely out of the question when he was being thrown from foster family to foster family. Then once in college the only romantic thoughts he ever had were all about Fell, a monster who made it perfectly clear that their relationship was purely sexual.

 

Fell glanced back down at the text messages in quiet thought. After a moment of silent contemplation and listening to Red fumble over his poor excuse of a response, the tall skeleton set the phone back on the counter. He turned and began making his way towards the large black leather sectional in the living room, pausing his steps for just a moment.

 

“Clear your schedule for this weekend. I’m taking you out.” Fell commanded without even so much as a glance in Red’s direction.

 

Red’s eye lights returned only to shrink into small pinpricks as Fell’s words echoes through his skull. “What..?” Red whispered in disbelief.

 

“You heard me. We’re going on a date this weekend. Make sure your friends don’t try to make plans.” Fell finally turned and flashed Red a cool smirk.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Miscommunication is the number one cause of heart break.


	20. Love Like You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)  
> babypizzawonderland - [View Here](http://babypizzawonderland.tumblr.com/post/149599889407/tonight-you-lucky-people-get-a-progression-of)  
> coffeeyesman - [View Here](https://coffeeyesman.tumblr.com/post/149545985615/so-hyped-from-the-last-chapter-highly-recommend)  
> ember-witch - [View Here](http://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/149701515724/fan-art-for-sinnyskelles-fan-fiction-to-love) & [View Here](http://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/151611976384/another-fanart-piece-for-sinnyskelles-to-love)  
> & [View Here](https://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/159460764239/fell-vs-doggo-a-scene-from-sinnyskelle-s)  
> bluetrashsins - [View Here](http://bluetrashsins.tumblr.com/post/150780954787/my-knights-resquing-their-damsels-in-distress)
> 
> A huge thank you to Ember for her newest fic art. Watching her stream as she made the art piece really lit a fire of inspiration in my gut and honestly I don't think I could have got through the chapter without it.  
> So much love for you woman! (੭ ˃̣̣̥ ㅂ˂̣̣̥)੭ु ♥
> 
> Song Used:  
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2F8HvKqnp5s

Rus took a long drag of his cigarette, inhaling the semi-calming nicotine into his non-existent lungs and effectively finished off his second cig. Once he had worn down the stick to the filter Rus flicked the bud to the ground and reached for the pack in his pocket to light yet another cigarette. Rus couldn’t stop his nerves from getting the better of him as he lit the fresh stick. He had no idea he’d be this nervous just waiting for his date with Blue. Stars had it really been that long since he was on a legitimate date? This was kind of pathetic. The tall skeleton internally grumbled to himself, reflecting how he used to be so good at faking cheap dates. But… the thing was, this wasn’t a cheap date. Rus had no desire to seduce Blue just for sex. This date was supposed to be the real thing. A legitimate bonding experience for him and his boyfriend. Damn it, now the nerves came back. Rus couldn’t stop thinking of all the ways he could possibly mess up. The stress was starting to get to him.

 

Rus took a deep breath after blowing out a large puff of smoke. He let his skull tilt back and rest against the wall of the store he was leaning against, his sockets focused on the bright clear blue sky above him. Today was a nice day for a date. Blue had done extensive planning to make sure they picked a day with ‘the most optimal weather conditions’. Rus couldn’t help but huff in amusement. Even though he had told Blue to leave all the planning to him, Blue couldn’t help but assist. To others, Blue’s insistent behavior might seem annoying or overbearing, but to him, Rus found it adorable. Besides, Blue was probably just as excited for the date as he was, and helping with the planning was most likely the smaller skeleton’s way of channeling that excitement.

 

Rus took a moment to look at himself in the reflection of the store window. His scrutinizing sockets scanned over his black shirt, orange open zipper track jacket, and grey jeans. His sockets finally landed on his slightly scuffed converse shoes in contemplation. Rus couldn’t help but stare critically at his outfit. Was he underdressed? He wasn’t sure. Sans had helped him get ready this morning and he assured Rus the outfit was the perfect level of casual for the type of date he and Blue were to have. But then again, this was Blue they were talking about. Everything Blue did, he did at 110%. Rus began to second guess himself and the whole date. He wanted everything to be perfect for Blue, but the problem was… Rus himself wasn’t a perfect monster. Rus began to feel his inadequacies piling up. What if he was boring? What if he said, or did something inappropriate? Blue was certainly the most high maintenance monster he had ever date and he was worried his natural lazy behavior would cause a serious strain on the relationship. The pressure to perform to Blue’s standards on this date was high.

 

Before Rus could lose himself further in his doubts, a familiar flash of blue caught his eye from across the crowded street. Rus looked up and smiled to see Blue waving happily as he made his way to the designated meetup spot. Rus couldn’t stop the small dusting of orange that graced his cheek bones as he looked over Blue’s outfit. Blue looked adorable in his large white shirt, short blue jeans, black leggings, and soft fuzzy blue boots. The ensemble was held together by the bright blue scarf around his neck. Rus couldn’t help but chuckle at how attached Blue had become to his Halloween costume scarf. It even still had the gold star attached. Although… Upon second glance at the outfit, Rus had to admit Blue looked much younger in his street clothes than he did in his normal stuffy professor get-up’s. The oversized white shirt made Blue’s bones look even smaller. If that was even possible. 

 

“Hey Rus! Were you waiting long?” Blue immediately jumped up to hug his boyfriend in greeting, catching the taller skeleton off guard for a moment. In reality, Blue took the affectionate moment to bury his burning skull into Rus’ shirt. Even though Rus never wore the proper school uniform, the student always wore the same outfit every day. Finally seeing Rus in his street clothes caused Blue’s soul to flutter rapidly in his rib cage. He still couldn’t get over how handsome Rus looked just by putting in a little effort into his wardrobe. Still, there was a tiny piece of him that missed seeing Rus in his trademark orange hoodie. In the meantime, Blue could only pray Rus didn’t notice how flustered he was right now.

 

Rus chuckled and hugged the other skeleton firmly to his chest. “Nah, you’re right on time. As always.” Rus mused, not even once doubting the small, energetic skeleton’s punctuality.

 

“Good, so where to first?” Blue looked up at Rus, his eyes morphing to stars.

 

Rus couldn’t help but smile at Blue’s inability to hide his emotions. His magic was always so telling. It was refreshing and always appreciated. It helped Rus know without a doubt he made Blue happy. “How about a little window shopping before we get dinner. I know a place, it’s a bit of a hole in the wall kind of restaurant, but it’s good.”

 

“Sounds good to me. Let’s go!” Blue finally let go of Rus and let the other skeleton lead the way down the crowded streets of downtown New Home. Blue had to admit, this outing was much better than the previously planned outing to Grilbz. Downtown New Home was purely a monster district. Very rarely were there any humans around. The familiarity of fellow monsters helped ease his anxiety of going out. He would recover from his fear of humans… in time.

 

As they walked, and just as Blue was sure he recovered from his flustering episode, he felt the smooth bones of Rus’ fingers brush slowly against his. With a soft blush returning to his cheeks, Blue looked up at Rus quizzically only to find the other skeleton blushing himself as he kept his gaze unwavering in front of him. After a moment of silent ecstatic shock Blue turned to face forward as well, his cheeks glowing even brighter as he opened his hand. In no time at all, Rus’ long fingers slipped in between his, entwining to a perfect fit. Blue couldn’t help the pounding of his soul that he was sure Rus could feel all the way to their conjoined hands. For the first time ever, Blue was with someone who was proud and happy to be his boyfriend. Someone who didn’t hide their relationship. Someone who was taking him out on romantic dates. It was everything he ever dreamed of… and more.

 

A soft squeeze to Blue’s hand sent a wave of warm comforting magic to his soul. The sensation hit home so deeply it caused a shiver to run up the smaller skeleton’s spine. In that moment, a slight spark of blue and orange magic arched between their bones. Blue glanced down at their conjoined hands, unsure if he really saw the magical discharge.

 

“Hey Blue, which store do you want to check out?”

 

Blue flinched as Rus’ question brought him back to reality, turning his attention away from the odd sparks of magic and back to the date. “Oh… um, how about that one?” Blue started nervously, but his confidence picked back up as he spotted a local nick-nack shop up ahead.

 

Without waiting for Rus’ response, Blue’s eyes morphed back into bright stars and the small professor proceeded to drag his student excitedly to the front of the store.

 

Rus smirked, letting himself be dragged by his overly excited boyfriend. There was something about Blue’s enthusiasm that complimented his lazy personality so well. 

 

Once inside Blue began to look over all the stores wares with wonder. There were so many cute and funny objects lining the walls and isles. Although, Blue’s attention was quickly caught by a pair of bright azure gloves that hung on one of the nearby shelves. The small skeleton gasped as he looked over the soft, fuzzy material, his fingers tracing down the cloth. They looked like they would be perfect for the upcoming winter. And they were his favorite color.

 

“You like those gloves?” Rus questioned as he came up behind the other skeleton.

 

“Yeah! Don’t these look so cool and-“ Blue paused as he turned around and stared at Rus in disbelief.

 

There, standing behind the professor was Rus in oversized sunglasses. A dangling plastic mustache attached to the glasses swayed as Rus’ brow bones wiggled suggestively at his uncharacteristically quiet boyfriend.

 

After a few more seconds of silent staring, the two finally broke out into a fit of laughter and giggles.

 

“Rus, sometimes I question if you really are a scientist.” Blue spoke in between laughter.

 

“Hey, science hasn’t made me lose my funny bone.” Rus cackled his bones before picking up more oversized sunglasses to try on.

 

“Oh don’t you even start with those puns, Mr.” Blue warned, but the grin on his face betrayed his scolding tone. 

 

With the mood set, Rus and Blue continued to peruse the shop, taking time out to try on novelty hats and glasses as Blue pulled out his phone to shoot pictures. The two continued to laugh and enjoy themselves, ignoring the awkward looks and stares of monsters passing by. Blue plastered a large, genuine smile on his skull as Rus hugged him from behind, posing for another silly selfie.

 

As Rus wondered to the other end of the store to look over some candles, Blue took the brief moment of solitude to change the lock screen of his phone to one of the new pictures the two just took. The professor’s large grin loosened to a soft smile as he looked down at his phone. It was strange… All Blue ever wanted was to have the perfect ideal relationship with the perfect ideal monster. The fairy tale romantic relationship. He always imagined what the perfect monster would be like. But now that he was in a relationship… for the life of him he couldn’t remember what he used to picture. Now that he was with Rus, he couldn’t picture any other monster.

 

Blue couldn’t be bothered to care about the other monster’s stuffy looks at his and Rus’ antics. He couldn’t care less if a fellow MSU staff member saw him out on his date with Rus, a student. He didn’t care about Rus’ promiscuous past. He didn’t care if Rus never did any huge romantic gestures like chase him all the way to the airport, or any other chiche romantic movie trope. As Blue tapped the ‘Okay’ button on his screen to set his new wallpaper, he realized that all that really mattered to him now… was Rus.

 

“Hey Blue, open your hands.”

 

Blue looked up with a start at Rus who was now standing next to him, hiding something behind his back.

 

Without thinking, Blue nodded and held out his hands as requested. As soon as he did, a plastic shopping bag was placed in his palms. Suddenly, Blue’s sockets widened as he looked through the contents of the shopping bag. Inside were a pair of blue gloves, new knitting needles and yarn, as well as a large pillow plush of a smiling taco. “W-wha… Rus?” Blue couldn’t find it in himself to string together a coherent sentence.

 

Rus had left him speechless. 

 

Slowly, Rus leaned down and clanked a soft skeletal kiss atop Blue’s head. “Come on babe, let’s head out.”

 

Blue kept his head down as his skull burned a bright cyan. He wasn’t used to such open and public displays of affection, cute pet names, or thoughtful gifts. Stars was Rus that determined to make him flustered all night? “Y-you wait outside for a minute!” Blue tried to sound demanding, but the squeak in his voice betrayed him. He needed a few minutes alone. His mind was decided.

 

The soft chuckle from Rus indicated the squeak did not go unnoticed.

 

“Alright. I’ll be right outside waiting.” Rus wasn’t completely sure why Blue wanted to be alone, but seeing as how bright his skull was, the student simply assumed he may have laid on the affections a little thick. Rus patted Blue on the shoulder before casually making his way outside the shop where he propped himself against a wall and lit a fresh cigarette.

 

Blue made sure Rus was busy with his smoke before taking a deep breath and turning back to a particular isle in the store. With his mind made up, Blue made his way to the item he was looking for.

 

Rus watched the crowds of the busy street with lazy half lidded sockets. A small, thin trail of smoke wafted from the end of his cigarette as he absentmindedly watched other monsters go about their business, making sure to give Blue as much time as he needed. Seeing Blue react so strongly towards him gave Rus the confidence to know he was doing well so far this evening. As Rus was about to tap the end of his steadily burning cigarette, a glimmer of red caught the tall skeleton’s attention. “Hm?” Rus turned to look in the direction of the shimmering red object, only to find nothing but gray paved sidewalks and soft beige paints of nearby shops. That was odd. It almost looked like… a red soul? Rus’ sockets narrowed as he looked around the crowds of monsters skeptically. Strange, the only monsters he knew who had red magic where Red and Fell, but he knew those two were busy with their outing in another part of town.

 

“Okay Rus! I’m ready!” Blue chirped up as he hopped next to Rus, startling the taller skeleton with his sudden arrival.

 

Turning his attention back towards his boyfriend, Rus abandoned his halfway finished cigarette to let Blue know he was ready to go. “Oh hey Blue. Let’s head out then.” This time Rus simply smiled as he held out his hand towards his boyfriend, his soul pounding happily when Blue took hold without hesitation.

 

As the two skeletons walked down the crowded streets, a dark figure hiding in the cover of a nearby alley moved. The shimmering red soul at the figures chest dimmed and the figure vanished deeper into the shadows.

 

Rus and Blue smiled and enjoyed their time as they visited more shops. First the book store, then the flower shop, and finally the movie store. Blue was sure to document each visit with pictures on his phone. He vaguely wondered if he should buy a scrap book as a means to commemorate their date. After a bit of thought, Blue scrapped the idea. It was just their first date after all, they would have more in the future. It’s not like these were fleeting memories.

 

The more they walked around town, the more comfortable Rus became with Blue clinging onto him. In fact, he found he quite enjoyed Blue’s constant displays of affection. At first the taller skeleton was worried he had pushed a few boundaries earlier based off how nervous Blue seemed, but after a few hours, it was Blue who was the one initiating the affectionate touches. Small kisses to the cheek, holding hands, linking arms. There weren’t too many moments that Blue was not touching the other skeleton in some capacity. The cutesy relationship behavior actually made Rus’ soul feel lighter. This was definitely a new experience for him.

 

As the day began to fade away and give way to the setting sun, Rus took a moment to check his phone for the time. “Hey Blue, you ready to eat?” Rus asked as he looked over to Blue from his phone.

 

Blue simply rested his skull against Rus’ arm and nodded happily. Today had been a fun day filled with lots of shopping, and to be honest, the small skeleton felt a little tuckered out. He could use a break from all the walking with some good food. 

 

The two walked hand in hand to a small restaurant at the edge of downtown New Home. As they approached, Blue’s sockets widened as he gazed upon the small river front restaurant. It really did look like a hole in the wall kind of place. The stores crowded around, almost overshadowing the small establishment as the building itself didn’t even have a sign indicating it was there. On top of that, the restaurant looked as though it couldn’t hold any tables indoors due to the small square footage. Although, the eatery had several small two person tables lining the front of the restaurant. Elegant white lights were strung to the light poles, outlining the seating area in a soft glow. Each table was draped with a sheer white linen cloth and adorned with a single tea light candle in the center. The setting was small, but it was intimate and romantic. Blue couldn’t help but smile brightly. It wasn’t a big fancy restaurant, but it was a million times better.

 

Rus and Blue seated themselves at one of the tables and were immediately greeted by a friendly server. Blue was pleased to find the restaurant had quite the eclectic menu. There was pasta dishes, exotic dishes, and even a few familiar comfort foods. The two finally decided on an Italian Alfredo dish where they were assured their order would be ready momentarily. Blue simply smiled and nodded to the kind lady server. It wasn’t his famous tacos, but it would do.

 

Once the two were alone, Blue took a moment to look around the area with a fond smile. “I have to hand it to you Rus, this is probably the best date I’ve ever been on.”

 

Rus’ sockets widened as he stared at Blue in disbelief. “You’re kidding right? I’m sure you’ve been on way more fancy and better dates than this.” Rus commented nervously. Damn he could use a cigarette or a toothpick right now.

 

“Fancy, yes. Better no. Rus… I’m really enjoying myself tonight. And it’s all thank to you.” Blue smiled brightly, a soft cyan glow beginning to form on his skull.

 

Rus stared quietly as he listened to Blue. The realization of his boyfriend’s words caused his own magic to stir on his skull into a faint orange glow.

 

“I guess what I’m trying to say is… I really like you Rus. And I like spending time with you. Thank you for taking me out.” Blue shifted his hands in his lap as he tried to keep from nervously fidgeting. Stars he was acting like a nervous school girl. Why did Rus always have that effect on him? It’s embarrassing! He’s the older professor for crying out loud!

 

“You don’t have to thank me, babe. I’m just glad I could live up to your standards.” Rus sighed in relief as he took a sip of his water.

 

Blue looked up with a shocked expression. “Live up to my standards?”

 

“Uh well… I…” Rus almost spit out his water as he began to fumble over his own words. Damn it he fucked up! Why couldn’t he just keep his bony jaw shut!

 

After seeing Rus flounder over finding an excuse, Blue frowned and leaned across the table, grabbing one of Rus’ hands in his. “Rus…”

 

Rus froze and fell silent. He looked into Blue’s large eye lights and felt guilt well up in his soul. Had he upset Blue?

 

“Rus I hope you know you don’t need to try to ‘live up to my standards’. I just want you to be you. Rus… I like you for who you are. I don’t want you to try and be something you’re not.” Blue rubbed his thumb across Rus’ phalanges, the sound of bone rubbing softly against bone filled the silent night air. 

 

Rus didn’t know what to say. Blue’s words along with the soft pulses of caring magic that the smaller skeleton was sending to him were more than enough affirmation of the professor’s feelings. Rus simply smiled and nodded, the silent gesture letting Blue know that those kind of thoughts would no longer be brought up.

 

Hearing Blue confirm that he liked him just the way he was sent pulses of happiness and hope through Rus’ soul. Unfortunately, they conflicted and battled against Rus’ long time skepticism and cynicism. Rus took a moment to watch Blue innocently sip his drink, unaware of the emotional conflicts he had stirred. Rus had been hurt so many times before, even by Blue himself. But… the longer he spent with Blue, the more comfortable he felt opening up and hoping for the future. 

 

True to the server’s words, after a short waiting period, the skeleton’s food were brought to them. Blue was surprised and pleased to find the restaurant’s food was incredible. Even though the restaurant was very small, it seemed as though the chef took a great deal of pride in their work. Blue could tell the diner used only the freshest ingredients, just like him. Rus smiled as Blue ate with happy hums of approval.

 

“So Blue, I’ve been wondering, what made you decide to be a psychology professor?” Rus questioned while taking a bite of his pasta. 

 

Blue felt his cheeks burn ever so slightly at the question. It’s not like he hid his desires to help others, but this wasn’t the same Rus from the first day of glass. This wasn’t the same apathetic student that fell asleep in his lectures. This was a complicated monster with an intricate past, a brilliant scientist, and his boyfriend. Blue thought about his answer for a second, not wanting to come off as lame or desperate to Rus. “Well… I really like helping others. I feel as though there isn’t enough communication in this world. And if we could all learn to understand each other, once communication did happen, it would make breaking down walls and boarders easier.”

 

Rus cocked his skull to the side, listening to Blue intently. “What do you mean by that?”

 

“Look at monsters and humans for example. I hear monsters say stuff like ‘humans kill because it’s in their nature, it’s just who they are’, but never even bother to try and understand humans. They never ask the big question, ‘why’.” Blue had long abandoned his fork as he waved his hands in the air, using the gestures to help animate his point.

 

Rus’ sockets widened just a fraction. Hadn’t Blue just admitted he was afraid of humans not too long ago? Hadn’t humans kidnapped him and assault him? Rus couldn’t understand how Blue was still pushing for monster-human relations. He wanted to ask, but he had to hold back and think about a proper way to ask his question. He didn’t want to unintentionally bring up any bad memories on their date. “But… why try so hard with humans. Isn’t that something the Royal Counsel should worry about?”

 

Blue looked down thoughtfully at his almost finished plate of pasta. “I think that it starts with us, the regular monsters. I believe that everyone can change. Everyone can be better, if they just try.”

 

Rus stared at Blue in silence as he let the other skeleton’s words sink in. Blue was truly an optimist. He knew Blue was a kind, caring monster, but it had never occurred to him exactly how kind and caring Blue was. Rus had to take a moment to digest Blue’s words. He really didn’t know how he didn’t see it before. The way Blue tried so hard to stick by his side, the way he always believed he was a good monster despite all the rumors that surrounded him, how even now after all the experiences he’s had with humans, he still wished to see the best in them.

 

After their conversation from earlier, and seeing this side of Blue he never realized had been there the whole time, Rus’ confidence spiked.

 

His soul hummed with hope, his magic pulsing strongly in his chest.

 

He was sure now.

 

Rus huffed in amusement as he stared at Blue fondly. “You really are something else, aren’t you.”

 

Blue’s magic began to burn on his skull. He wasn’t quite sure what Rus meant by that comment, but from the looks of the other skeleton and the tone of his voice, Blue could only imagine it was said in endearment.

 

“So what about you? Why did you chose to become a scientist? And what are your pans after college?” Blue asked as he took his finishing bite of pasta.

 

Rus looked down at his own plate and began to twirl the last remaining noodles with his fork. His sockets narrowed as he pondered Blue’s question silently. Why did he become a scientist? He knew he loved science, but why?

 

“Honestly… I don’t know. All I know is I love science. Why I love science or how I came to the field… I don’t really know.” Rus’ brow bones frowned as he focused harder on the question, dissatisfied with his inability to come up with a reasonable answer.

 

Blue stayed quiet and let Rus think to himself. It looked as if he was mulling over something important in his head.

 

“It’s weird you know… sometimes I feel like I do things in my life without reason. Like… there was no big life altering event that happened in my life that pushed me to science, it just came to me. Like the passion for it was already inside me. Kind of like it was from a previous life…”

 

Blue’s sockets widened as he listened to Rus. Previous life? What did Rus mean by that?

 

“Do you mean a previous life as in some sort of divine religious meaning?” Blue questioned, trying his best to follow Rus’ reasoning.

 

“No not at all. It’s just… sometimes I feel like there are other worlds out there. And the monsters we are today, are made up of those experiences from those other worlds.” Rus looked up from his plate to see Blue staring at him with wide sockets. “Sorry, I’m probably not making any sense.”

 

“No! It makes total sense!” Blue quickly interjected. He didn’t know how or why, but he understood Rus’ explanation completely, even agreeing with it.

 

“And Rus, regardless of why you chose to focus science as your field of study, I know you’re a brilliant scientist, and I know you’ll do great things in the future.” Blue concluded and smiled brightly. It was okay for people to just go with what their soul told them. There was no wrong way to follow your dreams.

 

Rus simply smiled back fondly at Blue. There his professor went trying to inspire greatness from people again. He would never change. 

 

The two then sat at the table in silence for a while till the sound of instruments tuning caught the two skeleton’s attentions. Rus looked over and spotted a street band setting up their equipment. Two monsters, a cat monster and an alligator monster adjusted their mics as a mouse monster and a flame monster set up a keyboard and drum set. As the cat monster and alligator monster strapped on guitars, Rus was positive this would be an up-and-coming rock band. But to his shock, soft jazz like music came from the band’s sound check. The music was much more calm than expected. In fact, it seemed rather romantic.

 

Once the band had finished their sound check, soft piano notes began to play indicating a new song. Rus smiled at the ambiance the music provided, turning back in time to spot Blue smiling softly as he rested his skull in his hands, his attention completely caught by the musicians. Feeling his confidence rise the longer he stared at his boyfriend, Rus finally rose from his seat and walked over to Blue’s side, catching the smaller skeleton’s attention.

 

“Rus?” Blue questioned.

 

Rus didn’t say anything in return. Instead, he held out his hand in a silent gesture. Rus watched with muted concern as Blue flushed and hesitated at the invite. But a few seconds later, Blue looked the side shyly as he accepted Rus’ hand and offer to dance. Rus let go a breath he didn’t realize he had been holding as he guided Blue towards the center of the twinkling white lights.

 

As the cat monster began to sing, Rus slowly lifted Blue’s hands to place one on his shoulder and the other in his phalanges.

 

Blue’s magic began to glow brighter as he realized Rus of all monsters knew how to dance. Something he never expected. Then again, he should be used to Rus surprising him by now. A gentle hand was then placed on his hip and Blue was certain his skull was glowing by now. He couldn’t for the life of him look up and stare Rus in the face.

 

[If I could begin to be  
Half of what you think of me,  
I could do about anything,  
I could even learn how to love.]

 

As the first verse ended, Blue felt a squeeze in his and Rus’ conjoined hands as well as a gentle pull of his hip, bringing their bodies closer together. A flood of powerful warm, longing, and caring emotions pulsed through their connected hands and encompassed Blue’s soul like a blanket. With a start, Blue shot his skull up to look at Rus quizzically. Was… was Rus trying to convey his feelings through the song? Blue searched the taller skeleton’s eyes with his silent question.

 

[When I see the way you act,  
Wondering when I'm coming back,  
I could do about anything,  
I could even learn how to love like you.

 

Love, like you...]

 

The soft gaze from Rus’ unwavering stare was answer enough. Blue couldn’t help but stare longingly at Rus as the other skeleton led them slowly into a small waltzes. The small skeleton couldn’t stop the soaring hope that races through his soul that Rus really meant it. Before Blue could open his mouth and try to voice the question, the song picked up pace and so did Rus.

 

Blue smiled and laughed in delight as the taller skeleton picked him up, spinning them around, blissfully ignorant to the world around them. 

 

[I always thought I might be bad,  
Now I'm sure that it's true  
'cause I think you're so good  
And I'm nothing like you.

Look at you go,  
I just adore you,  
I wish that I knew  
What makes you think I'm so special]

 

Slowly, the spinning stopped and Rus stared deeply into Blue’s bright eye lights as he leaned down, tilting the smaller skeleton into a dip. He was sure his soul was pounding in his rib cage. If Blue didn’t notice, it was beyond him. Rus couldn’t stop the nervousness from flowing through his magic as one of Blue’s hands came up to gently cup his skull. As the two locked stares, Rus subconsciously leaned down and pressed his teeth against Blue’s in a soft, passionate kiss.

 

[If I could begin to do  
Something that does right by you,  
I would do about anything,  
I would even learn how to love.]

 

After being lost in their world, the two finally parted their kiss and Rus pulled Blue back up. Before Rus could reposition himself back into the proper waltzing position, Blue lunged forward and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend’s vertebra, nuzzling his skull affectionately against Rus’. 

 

[When I see the way you look.  
Shaken by how long it took,  
I could do about anything,  
I could even learn how to love like you.]

 

Rus smiled brightly in return, wrapping his arms tightly around Blue’s slight frame as he continued to dance with his professor in warm embrace.

 

[Love like you...

Love me like you.]

 

As the song tapered off to a soft melody, Blue finally let go of Rus. The professor held a bright smile as he stared at his student with hearts in his sockets.

 

Rus smiled at Blue’s magic giving away his emotions. The guy was just so damn cute.

 

“Hey Rus… can… can we go home now?” Blue asked as he grabbed hold of Rus’ hand.

 

Rus looked down at Blue with a shocked expression, worry and doubt suddenly coursing through him. “Why? Are you not having fun?” Had he misread Blue completely? Did he not like the spontaneous dance?

 

“That’s not it at all! I had a blast! It’s just…” Blue’s confidence dropped and his shyness returned as the smaller skeleton looked to the side nervously. “I just want to spend time… alone with you… is all…”

 

Oh.

 

Oh…

 

… OH!

 

Rus suddenly felt his own skull heat up as he coughed nervously and averted his gaze. Stars that was sudden! He never would have expected Blue of all people to ask such a thing. Blue always seemed so cute and innocent in his eyes. Rus’ magic immediately began to react causing his soul pulses to speed up. Crap he didn’t understand why he was so nervous all the sudden! He had sex all the time. Why would now be any different? It’s not like Blue was any different.

 

As soon as Rus thought it, his soul pounded painfully as if to prove him wrong. Rus quickly and discreetly rubbed his sternum, trying to make it look like he was scratching himself as he tried to sooth his already heated magic. Okay fine, Blue was different. Simply acknowledging the truth made his magic stir with nerves. It was just something about Blue of all people asking for something… like this. Rus internally sighed at himself and his behavior. Now wasn’t the time to clam up. If he did, he might make Blue feel embarrassed for asking. He had to get his act together, for Blue.

 

“Alright then. Let’s head home.” Rus forced to keep his voice even.

 

He watched Blue blush and nod before gathering his shopping bags and stepping back over to his side. Good, at least Blue looked just as nervous as he felt.

 

Quickly throwing some cash on the table to cover the bill and tip, Rus waited nervously for Blue to adjust his belongings in his hand for the trip.

 

As soon as Blue had a hold of one of Rus’ sleeves, Rus took a deep steadying breath and teleported them back to Blue’s apartment. 

 

_______________________________________________

 

With a small *blip*, the two skeletons landed safely in Blue’s living room.

 

Immediately, there was an awkward air between the two as each skeleton avoided each other’s gaze, opting to look around the quiet apartment with forced interest.

 

Rus frowned as he berated himself for his awkward demeanor. What the hell was wrong with him? He shouldn’t be showing his nerves, at least not now. He should be doing his best to make Blue feel comfortable. After all, he could have completely misread the situation. Maybe Blue just wanted to cuddle and relax. Yeah, that was probably it. Blue was too sweet and innocent to outright ask for sex. His panicked over sexual imagination was going to ruin the nice date they just had.

 

After a few more moments of silence, Rus finally forced himself to will up enough courage to speak to Blue. “Hey uh… you tired?”

 

Blue froze and shyly glanced at Rus from the corner of his socket, his phalanges tightening around the handles of the shopping bags. “Uh yeah, kind of.”

 

Rus let out a soft sigh of relief. So he was right, Blue just wanted to relax, not have sex.

 

It wasn’t that Rus didn’t want to have sex with Blue. Hell he had been using all his strength and will power to keep from jumping Blue’s bones during quiet moments together on the couch. He was simply worried that his actions would give off the wrong idea. Rus didn’t want Blue to think he was just in this relationship for the sex. He knew Blue was aware of his past and his reputation. Finding the right time to take the relationship to the next level required through planning and patience.

 

“Alright, why don’t you get ready and I’ll find a show for us to binge watch till we fall asleep.” Rus relaxed and smiled to his boyfriend as he took the shopping bags from Blue.

 

Blue nodded as he let Rus take the bags then headed to his room without a word, his movements stiff like a robot.

 

Once the door was closed, Blue leaned against the frame and heaved in deep breaths. Stars this whole situation was nerve wracking! Was he not clear enough? Did he not drop enough hints to Rus? Was this Rus’ way of foreplay?

 

Blue’s mind raced as he tried to calm down his frantically beating soul. His magic was on high alert, unsure what to do with the rapidly changing emotions that flowed through his soul. Blue tried his best to focus on finding pajamas for the evening, his phalanges shaking as he rummaged through his drawers. Stars everything was so unsure! Blue grumbled at his sexual inexperience. Well… he wasn’t completely inexperienced, it was just that the only monster he had continuous sex with was Fell. Blue groaned and smacked a bony hand against his face as he tried rubbing away the anxiety. Fell wasn’t the best partner for proper sexual education. He was so used to being thrown around and taken without so much as a warning. He didn’t know what regular sex was like anymore!

 

Once Blue found a pair of pants, he held up the pajamas and stared at them almost as if putting them on would be a point of no return. Was he ready for this? Was Rus ready for this? Having sex would really make their taboo teacher student relationship that much more official. Would this affect either of them negatively?

 

No!

 

Blue shook his head trying to clear the worrisome thoughts away. He had made up his mind earlier today. He wasn’t going to care about what others thought. Not strangers, not his friends, and not the school staff. This was his and Rus’ life and gosh darn it they were going to live it!

 

It took Blue what seemed like forever to get his shaking phalanges to work the button of his short jeans and remove his pants. In his frantic mindless frenzy, Blue had forgotten to remove his boots, thus tripping on his jeans as soon as he attempted to step out of them. With an “oomph” Blue face planted onto the carpet below, groaning in agony at his nerves. Stars this was going to be a long evening…

 

Rus hummed softly as he readjusted the living room for a more relaxed feng shui. He separated the long coffee table into two end tables that he placed on each end of the couch. With a quick wave of his finger and some magic, Rus levitated the two candles he purchased on their outing from the shopping bags and set them on each small end table. He then used his cigarette lighter from his pocket to light the wicks. After a moment of thought, Rus tapped into his magic once more and snapped his fingers, promptly turning off the lights in the living room. Rus smiled to himself as he looked at the soft, warm glow the candles gave off in the small room, the shadows dancing against the walls in time with the flickers. Even though the date was over, he could still make things romantic as the evening wound down.

 

A small thump from Blue’s room caught Rus’ attention and he turned his head towards the door. “Blue! You okay?” Rus called out.

 

There was no reply.

 

Rus felt his worry begin to rise as he took a few steps towards Blue’s room. Had something happened? Did Blue get hurt?

 

Rus had to constantly remind himself that even though Blue was an independent adult, he was still a one HP monster. Rus had experience watching over one HP monsters, being roommates with Sans and friends with Red; but still, even with all the experience he had he still worried about all of them and their handicaps.

 

Before Rus could reach the doorknob, the door creaked open and out peeked a nervous Blue. The small skeleton’s frame looked even smaller than normal, almost as if Blue was trying to shrink into himself.

 

“Hey Blue, you alright? I heard some ruckus in there.”

 

“Yeah I’m fine.” Blue whispered as he stepped out of his room, his eye lights focusing on the ground. He wasn’t going to admit that his nerves kept him from thinking properly and that he tripped over his pajama pants several times in his frantic state to get ready for their night of passion.

 

Rus looked over Blue curiously. Blue had removed his boots, shorts, and leggings and had put on a pair of soft pajama pants, but the small skeleton completely forgot to remove their baggy white t-shirt or scarf. Rus blinked a couple times trying to figure out if something was wrong with Blue or if the other skeleton was really just that tired. Normally Blue would wear a pair of matching pajama clothes, so to see the professor in anything but a carefully thought out outfit caught the taller skeleton off guard.

 

“Well come on over to the couch. Let’s relax.” Rus smiled reassuringly as he led Blue over to the living room.

 

Blue’s sockets immediately widened as he looked at the romantic candle lit room. There was no doubt now, Rus had caught onto his hints and was trying to set the mood. They were going to have sex for sure. Blue’s soul sped up in his rib cage and his magic rushed to his skull making him glow in the dark room.

 

“R-rus… I…” Blue fumbled over his words, his voice suddenly failing him. He wanted to tell Rus that he was nervous. He wanted to ask him to be gentle. But he just couldn’t for the life of him get the words out.

 

Rus looked down at Blue curiously, unsure what had gotten into the smaller skeleton all the sudden. Without even thinking, Rus leaned down and wrapped his arms around Blue, pulling his boyfriend into a tight embrace. He could feel Blue’s bones trembling in his hold, making him even more nervous and curious about the professor’s wellbeing. After a moment of thought, Rus shut his sockets and focused his magic to envelop the smaller skeleton. He pushed waves of comforting magic to Blue’s soul and was pleased to feel the trembling subside as soon as he did. “Blue?” Rus asked once he felt the other skeleton had calmed down enough to communicate.

 

The only reply Rus received was the soft nuzzling of Blue’s skull against his.

 

Rus smiled at the gesture and nuzzled Blue’s skull in return. “Don’t worry, I got you.” Rus whispered against the other skeleton’s head. He wasn’t sure what was going on with Blue, but as his boyfriend it was his job to be there to comfort him.

 

Feeling Rus’ breath against his skull sent a shiver down Blue’s spine. His own soul heated up as his magic reacted to the soft whispers. Blue felt his cheek bones flush with anticipation. Stars, the waiting was going to kill him.

 

The waiting…

 

Blue’s phalanges tightened over the material of Rus’ track jacket, bunching the cloth into his hands as he built up all his courage. Before he could change his mind, Blue quickly cupped Rus’ skull in his hands and pulled the student in for a deep kiss.

 

Rus was taken back by the sudden aggressive kiss, his magic reactively sparking to life right as he felt Blue’s conjured tongue lap at his teeth in a silent request. Rus’ magic quickly formed his own tongue as he happily granted Blue’s request, letting the smaller skeleton’s magic invade his mouth as their tongues danced and mingled in the heated kiss.

 

He wasn’t sure where the sudden affectionate behavior came from, but he was enjoying it.

 

Rus tightened his hold around Blue, pressing their bones flush together as he shifted the kiss to his favor. Blue gasped and let out a small moan as soon as he felt Rus press against him, letting the taller skeleton dominate the kiss and explore his mouth with his orange appendage.

 

‘Stars this is actually happening.’ Blue thought in both disbelief and excitement as he wrapped his arms around Rus’ vertebra, arching his spine and grinding his pelvis up against the other skeleton’s.

 

Rus groaned into the kiss and his hands immediately shot down towards Blue’s hips. Shit, he needed to stop and cool down or else he wouldn’t be able to control himself. Rus’ fingers grabbed onto the top of Blue’s iliac crests that poked out of the soft pajama pants. He needed to push Blue away.

 

As soon as Rus’ fingers griped his hips, Blue let out another soft moan. “Ah... Rus…” Blue panted in between kisses, his tongue still entwined with his student’s in a desperate need to feel closer.

 

Rus felt his will snap the moment he heard Blue moan his name, both his soul and magic heated up.

 

‘Damn it, Blue!’ Rus thought to himself as he rubbed Blue’s iliac crests softly while pulling the smaller skeleton’s hips closer. He held Blue firmly in place as he began to grind against him, his magic beginning to warm and coalesce in his pants.

 

Blue panted and moaned freely as Rus began to rut against him. He could feel Rus’ magic mold and form into something hard as it poked against his own growing mound of magic. “P-please Rus…” Blue begged with half lidded sockets, his eye lights morphed into hazy hearts. He wasn’t sure what he wanted at this point, but he needed more.

 

Rus smiled at the desperate please of his boyfriend. He didn’t care how cute and innocent Blue was at the moment. Right now, all he wanted to do was wrack Blue’s body with pleasure. He wanted to see his cute small boyfriend fall apart from his hands, screaming his name.

 

Without a word, Rus lifted Blue into his arms and stepped back with him, making his way blindly to the couch.

 

Blue’s sockets widened as he saw an opportunity and went for it. Breaking from the kiss, the smaller skeleton latched down onto Rus’ neck, biting softly with his tiny four fangs. His thick blue tongue lapped up the ridges of Rus’ vertebra as he showered his boyfriend’s neck with nips and kisses.

 

“Ah! Shit!” Rus let out a startled moan, losing his balance and toppling back onto the couch in the process. 

 

Blue yelped as he toppled forward, quickly grabbing hold of the couches arm to keep from falling over head first, distracted by their clumsy make out session. Immediately Blue gasped and flushed a bright cyan as he realized he was now crotch to face with Rus.

 

“I-I’m Sorry!” Blue squeaked and quickly struggled to try and move away from the embarrassing situation.

 

Two hands suddenly grabbed hold of his hips, quickly halting the small skeleton in place.

 

Blue looked down at Rus with wide sockets just in time to see a devious smile from his boyfriend before Rus’ skull leaned forward.

 

“Wait Rus-Ahh!” Blue quickly slapped a hand across his teeth to try and silent his moans.

 

Rus smirked in victory as he pressed his tongue flush against the clothed mound in front of him, his hands firmly holding Blue’s hips in place as he began to lick the quickly damping cluster of magic.

 

“Rus wait…Nnnh!” Blue felt shivers of pleasure run up his spine as he felt Rus’ tongue lap against his pussy through his pajama pants. He couldn’t tell if his clothes were wet from his own juices or Rus’ tongue.

 

“Okay babe. But only for a moment.” Rus pulled away and watched the conflicted emotions run across Blue’s skull. He knew Blue didn’t really want him to stop, but it was fun teasing him.

 

Deciding he could have a little more fun torturing his cute, innocent boyfriend, Rus slowly began to slip his fingers into the hem of Blue’s pants. He smiled as his bony fingers rubbed against the soft worm plush of Blue’s conjured ecto pussy, his fingers teasingly rubbing over the swollen nub up front.

 

As soon as he did, Blue began to tremble and flinch, the spikes of stimulation too much to hide.

 

Rus’ eye began to emanate orange smoke, wisps of pent up magic from watching his adorable boyfriend moan and shiver to just the slightest touches. His own magic throbbed between his legs, reminding him of his own lust, but he pushed the feeling aside… for now.

 

Without waiting a second longer, Rus pulled Blue’s pants down and began to lap freely at the dripping pussy before him.

 

“Ah! Stars Rus!” Blue’s sockets widened, his hazy heart shaped eye lights growing in size as his bones rattled with pleasure. He didn’t know what to do. Rus was taking his time with the foreplay and being so gentle with him, but he still wanted more. His magic was burning for release. The constant stimulation caused Blue’s magic to flare up even more, forming his ecto flesh under his ribs and along his legs. Blue panted as he looked at the small pudgy eco body that was now glowing in the dark room.

 

Rus simply hummed in approval as he moved his hands to grip at the squishy hips, holding the smaller skeleton completely still as he tortured the other with slow languid licks.

 

With trembling phalanges, Blue slowly placed his hands atop of Rus’ skull. His soul sped up and he shut his sockets tight, not wanting to see Rus’ face if he looked up. Stars he had never taken the lead before. Fell had always forced him to submit completely. But… he needed more! Blue’s anxiety was quickly overpowered by his lust right as Rus’ tongue lazily lapped at his swollen clit. That’s it, he needed this!

 

After steeling himself from his worries, Blue flushed even brighter as he pulled Rus’ skull deeper against his pussy, silently begging for more.

 

Rus immediately got the picture, but decided to keep playing with Blue a little longer. Carefully, Rus slipped his tongue passed Blue’s lips, licking around his inner walls but making sure not to let his tongue go too deep.

 

Blue pouted and let out whines of disapproval. Rus knew exactly what he was doing! He was teasing him on purpose! “Rus… Mmh! Please… Don’t tease me anymore…” Blue begged, tears of overstimulation collecting at his sockets.

 

After seeing his boyfriend beg once more for him, Rus decided to end the torture. “Anything for you, babe.” Rus relented. Suddenly, he plunged his long tongue deep into Blue, lapping vigorously at his weeping pussy.

 

“Ahh! Yes Rus!” Blue screamed in pleasure letting his tongue lull out as he shamelessly grinded against Rus’ tongue, face fucking his boyfriend till his student’s nasal hole was rubbing up against his clit, providing that beautiful much needed stimulation.

 

Rus felt his cock throb to the sound of Blue’s moans and the squelches his pussy made as his tongue plunged in and out of the puffy ecto mound. He let Blue set the pace, pushing his skull deeper when he wanted him to lick that sensitive special spot in the back. He reveled in the sounds he was forcing the smaller skeleton to make.

 

Blue panted and mewled in pleasure as he bucked into Rus skull, his students tongue reaching all the way to the back of his conjured entrance. A small dribble of saliva escaped as he lost himself in tremors of pleasure with each lap of Rus’ long expert tongue.

 

Rus let out a low moan, the vibrations hitting Blue’s sensitive clit as he began to tongue fuck Blue’s pussy faster.

 

Blue felt warmth begin to pool towards his pussy, his magic building up to its limit. His sockets widened as he realized he was rapidly approaching his climax.

 

“Rus wait! I’m gonna… I’m cumming!” Blue tried to pull away but was shocked to find Rus holding on tight, forcing him to stay put. Blue panicked, embarrassment flooding his skull. “No, Rus wait I-Ahhh!” Blue trembled as wave after wave of pleasure washed over him as he was forced to cum on his student’s face, his juices squirting out and trickling down his thighs as well as Rus’ jaw.

 

Rus continue to lap at Blue’s pussy, forcing him to ride out his orgasm till the very end. He smiled feeling Blue’s pussy pulse and tense around his tongue as squirts of cum continued to release.

 

Once he felt Blue go limp in his hold, he pulled away and gently laid the smaller skeleton back onto the couch. Rus smiled with pride watching Blue sprawled out before him, dripping wet, face flushed, and panting heavily.

 

“Ready for round two?”

 

With half lidded sockets, Blue weakly looked up and immediately felt his magic burn back to life. Rus was licking away the stray drips of cum off his teeth as he sat up on his knees, his hand slowly unzipping his pants and freeing his long, hard erection from its confines. Blue could only nod silently as he stared in both awe and anticipation for what was to come.

 

Once given confirmation, Rus leaned down and slowly slid his hands up Blue’s body, the movement lifting the smaller skeleton’s shirt in the process. Once Rus exposed the rest of Blue’s body and bones, he leaned down and began tracing soft kissing along both his boyfriend’s ribs and ecto flesh. He was sure to give every inch of the other skeleton’s exposed body affection.

 

Blue felt his skull heat up as he watched Rus take his time, showering him with kisses and tender affection. This was completely different from what he was used to. Sex with Rus wasn’t a race to the finish. It was a slow, sensual process. Almost like a dance. Rus was guiding him along rather than forcing his way with him.

 

Once Rus made his way up to Blue’s neck, instead of removing the scarf, Rus simply tugged the cloth down so he could gain access to Blue’s sensitive vertebra. Blue couldn’t stop his bones from shaking. Each kiss, no matter how small, sent waves of warmth and pleasure throughout his body. After a few more kisses, Rus placed his teeth next to Blue’s skull, giving the professor a small skeletal kiss to his temple. “Blue, are you ready? Remember… you don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” Rus questioned wanting to make sure Blue was absolutely sure of his decision. Even though his magic was built up to its limit, he had to hold off. He didn’t want to pressure Blue into something he wasn’t ready for. If need be, he would just go rub one out by himself and wait for another time.

 

“Please Rus… Take me…” Blue whispered as he grabbed hold of Rus’ track jacket, pulling the taller skeleton down on top of him. “I’m ready.” Blue couldn’t stop the nervousness from leaking into his voice. He wasn’t used to this, but at the same time he was excited to take his relationship with Rus to the next level.

 

He wanted this.

 

After searching the smaller skeleton’s eyes, Rus nodded in agreement and reached down, his hand guiding the head of his cock to Blue’s pussy lips. He took his time to rub his head up and down the slick lips, making sure Blue was wet enough for him to continue. Ruminants from Blue’s previous orgasm dripped onto and coated Rus’ member, making him slick enough to push the tip in.

 

Blue gasped and shifted under Rus. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t mentally prepare himself for what was to come. Just having Rus’ tip inside him set his bones on fire.

 

Rus watched Blue carefully as he slowly inched himself inside the smaller skeleton under him. He pushed till he was half way sheathed then stopped. “Are you okay?” Rus questioned, concern flooding his voice. He could see how much Blue was flinching. He was worried he was hurting him. Rus was used to just plowing random fucks without a care in the world, and right now it took every ounce of his will power not to violently pummel Blue’s warm, tight pussy.

 

Blue panted softly and nodded, his skull completely flushed. “I’m okay…” After taking a moment to relax, Blue finally felt comfortable enough to move. Slowly, he spread his legs wider for Rus and wrapped his arms around the other skeleton’s broad shoulders the best he could. “Please Rus... Make me yours. In every way possible.” Blue shut his sockets tight at his embarrassing request. He wanted to feel like he belonged to Rus, body and soul.

 

Rus felt his own cheek bones flush. Blue wanted him to take him, and by stars he was going to do it. Rus then nodded and finally pushed his aching cock all the way inside till he was sheathed at the base. Blue’s pussy immediately tightened around him causing his own member to throb. “Ah! Fuck Blue!” Rus hissed as he lowered his skull against Blue’s shoulder. “So tight!”

 

“Nnnh! L-language!” Blue still managed to scold Rus through his moans as he felt his student stretch him out.

 

Rus chuckled at Blue for the scolding. Only his boyfriend.

 

In no time, Rus began to pull out and thrust back in. He panted as he forced himself to go at a slow steady pace. Blue’s magic was so tight and warm, it felt like it was a perfect fit around his member.

 

“Ahh! Rus!” Blue gasped as each of Rus’ slow deep thrusts bottomed out into his entrance. His bones shook and his body rocked against the couch with each powerful movement.

 

Rus felt beads of sweat drip down his skull as he watched Blue’s body rock up and down beneath him, his sockets shut tight as he moaned out in pure bliss. Seeing his boyfriend in such a state set his soul a blaze as he picked up the pace and began fucking the smaller skeleton faster. “I’m sorry Blue I can’t hold back!” Rus grunted as he lifted Blue’s hips, angling the smaller skeletons entrance so he could pump his cock inside deeper and faster.

 

Blue’s sockets snapped open and he began to let lose screams of pleasure. Rus was pounding into his sweet spot in the back and it was driving him crazy. “Ahh! Rus yes! More!” Blue could only cling desperately to Rus’ jacket as his boyfriend's cock slammed into him over and over again.

 

“Shit you feel so good!” Rus moaned as he slid one hand over to Blue’s front, his thumb rubbing the professors forgotten clit in fast small circles. Immediately, his cock was squeezed and gripped by Blue’s convulsing ecto pussy. Rus let out a low moan as he began to thrust faster, letting Blue’s warm tight entrance milk him of his precum.

 

“Ahh! F-fuck! Rus! It’s too much!” Tears of pleasure began to fall as Blue panted heavily, trying to slow down the quickly building warmth in his neither regions.

 

“Heh, language, Blue.” Rus teased as he continued to fuck the smaller skeleton below him.

 

Blue’s cries of annoyance for being given a taste of his own medicine were drowned out by the loud wet squelches of their love making. Blue felt his soul brighten and warm as the realization of the situation hit him. This wasn’t just sex. This was what making love was.

 

Almost as if on que, Rus slid one hand up to hold onto Blue’s. The smaller skeleton’s sockets widened as Rus’ fingers intertwined with his and he watched the warm caring way Rus was looking at him as he continued to thrust into him. Blue was left speechless, the only noises left were the soft moans and the wet slapping of the student’s cock pushing into his wet pussy.

 

Rus held onto Blue’s gaze as he felt his cock throb and the heat of his orgasm collect at his pelvis. He suddenly leaned down and captured Blue’s mouth in a deep, passionate kiss. He began to thrust erratically as Blue’s own entrance began to clench down on him, signaling the smaller skeleton’s own impending orgasm. Rus shut his sockets tight and moaned into the kiss as he let his cock release his hot seed deep into Blue’s pussy, filling him with spurt after spurt. 

 

Blue trembled as he felt his ecto pussy filled to the brim with Rus’ cum. The pressure of his student’s release setting his own climax over the edge as he moaned loudly into the kiss and came around the cock that was buried deep inside him.

 

After a few more thrusts and soft moans the two finally parted the kiss and collapsed completely onto the couch. Blue trembled and panted breathlessly as he felt dribbles of cum slip pass his pussy lips and down the curves of his thighs. He held onto to Rus tight, partially because he knew the second the other skeleton pulled out he’d make a mess on his couch, but also… he loved the feeling of Rus inside him and didn’t want that feeling to leave.

 

After taking a few moments to catch his breath, Rus finally lifted his skull from Blue’s shoulder to check on the smaller skeleton in front of him. Immediately his skull flushed orange as he was greeted by a blushing and smiling Blue. The look of pure adoration and content on Blue sent Rus’ soul a flutter.

 

“Heh… so I take it you enjoyed it?” Rus asked nervously, unsure how to handle the flurry of new emotions coursing through him. 

 

“I did. And I’m glad too. I was worried I didn’t give you enough hints that we should do it.” Blue admitted shyly, one of his fingers scratching nervously at his glowing cheek.

 

Rus felt his world crash around him in that instant. So his sweet, adorable, innocent boyfriend really was asking to have sex after all. Rus chuckled nervously trying to hide his shock. He should have expected as such. Blue was a grown adult after all. A grown adult with a sexual past. Still… It shocked him, at least just a little.

 

Soft, gentle caresses to his skull were quick to pull Rus out of his thoughts. The taller skeleton looked up and saw Blue smiling softly as he gently petted Rus’ skull, lulling the student to a more relaxed state. Rus smiled back as he laid down, resting his head on Blue’s sternum, listening to the soft beats of the smaller skeleton’s soul.

 

After taking a quick moment to glance at Blue’s smiling face, Rus felt his soul melt with happiness. It really didn’t matter if Blue wasn’t as innocent as he thought he was. Blue was still his adorable boyfriend in his eyes, nothing would change that.

 

Without a word, Rus leaned forward and planted a soft chaste kiss atop Blue’s skull.

 

Blue suddenly halted his pets and froze staring at Rus, almost as if something inside him clicked. “Hey Rus, can you hand me that bag on the floor next to you.”

 

Rus looked down and spotted a lone shopping bag on the floor among the others. With Rus’ long arms he was able to reach down and grab the bag without moving from his spot. “This one?” He asked as he handed the bag to Blue before crossing his arms over the smaller skeleton’s chest and resting his chin down on them.

 

Blue smiled and nodded as he reached inside and retrieved the item he had purchased in secrecy.

 

Rus blinked in confusion as Blue pulled out a simple black ash tray from the bag. “You got me another ash tray for my room?” Rus questioned. He wasn’t sure how he should take the gift. Was it a silent way of saying he was too messy with his cigarette buds? Or was this Blue’s way of saying his only noticeable hobby was smoking?

 

“Not for your room.” Blue commented as he set the ash tray down on the end table next to him. Blue then turned back around and smiled, waiting for the gesture to click with the other skeleton.

 

Rus stared in confusion for a while before slowly morphing to a look of shock. “Blue…?”

 

“I still think smoking is a disgusting unhealthy habit, but… I want you to know Rus that I… I…” Blue’s skull began to glow softly in the dark room, his soul beats picking up speed. The smaller skeleton shifted his gaze from side to side nervously before he looked back at Rus, a mix of fear, determination, and confidence all showing on his face at once. “I want you to know that I love you Rus… I love you for who you are. For all the pieces that make up you. And this is my way of showing it…”

 

Rus’ sockets widened as he stared at Blue in silent shock.

 

“I don’t want you to feel pressured to saying anything! I know I dropped a big bomb on you! Don’t worry I don’t need an answer or anything! Just know this is here and you can use it just be sure to use it outside or you’ll stink up the place and I know you’ll respect that and you aren’t a child and I don’t even know why I’m telling you this and I feel like I’m rambling and-Mmh!“ Blue’s sockets widened as he was pulled into a deep kiss. Immediately he let Rus’ tongue slip inside and move with his own. After a moment the heated kiss quickly died down to small pecks. After a while, Rus pulled away leaving a flushed and confused Blue. “Rus..?”

 

“I love you too.”

 

It was now Blue’s turn to stare up at Rus in sock. His student once again leaving him speechless.

 

Rus simply smiled and gently bonked his forehead against Blue’s nuzzling him gently as he allowed his soul to push waves of loving magic towards Blue.

 

Blue felt tears of happiness build at his sockets as his soul was enveloped by a warm loving emotion. He was certain now. There was no questioning what Rus just said.

 

Blue knew for a fact Rus loved him. His student loved him back just as much as he loved him. Rus loved him regardless of their teacher student positions. Rus loved him regardless of his actions before and how he had hurt him. He could feel the unwavering emotion through the pulses of magic.

 

Rus loved him for who he was.

 

Rus loved him…

 

Rus smiled and continued to cuddle with Blue on the couch. They both stayed silent as they basked in the warm, loving magic of each other’s souls. Rus let out a soft sigh of content. For once, there wasn’t conflicting emotions battling inside him. For once he wasn’t held back by his pessimism or cynicism. All that was left inside his soul was undeniable and unquestionable love that he had for Blue.

 

Rus couldn’t help but chuckle internally at the situation. Who would have known Blue of all people would be the one to get him to love again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When I heard the combined ending themes to Steven Universe I knew at that moment that would be the song for Rus and Blue's date. Without a doubt. Had this date planned for months and I'm so glad it's finally here. 
> 
> We're finally getting to the scenes of the story that inspired me to write this fic in the first place. 
> 
> With that said. All other fics will be put on hold till To Love Again finishes. (Minus the chapters I've already halfway written lol)


	21. Connection

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. This chapter was a doozy (๑꒪▿꒪)*  
> I apologize in advance for any spelling, or grammatical errors.   
> I'm just one person so I'm not going to get everything perfect. (｡•́︿•̀｡)

“You ready for this?!”

 

“READY!”

 

*POW*

 

In one swift blinding motion, splinters of shattered wood flew in every which way, littering the ground with more cracked planks of wood boards.

 

“WOWIE UNDYNE! THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!” Papyrus beamed as he examined the remains of the thick wood board that was now split in two, half in each of his hands.

 

“Heh! Thanks!” Undyne huffed and smiled at the compliment as she straightened out of her fighting stance, sweat dripping down her scales leaving her long fire red hair a mess. The fish monster suddenly paused and took a moment to gaze up at the sun, noticing the time was quickly reaching noon. “Hey we should probably call it a day Papyrus, it’s getting late. We’ll leave Judo practice for another day.” She announced as she headed over to her gym bag and pulled out water bottle and a clean towel. Papyrus had been helping Undyne practice her judo stances all morning in an open gassy field at the university.

 

Papyrus jumped at the information and quickly reached into his pocket to pull out his phone and checked the time.

 

11:30am.

 

He had a little over an hour to get ready for his date.

 

Papyrus couldn’t stop himself from smiling at the thought. He had been beyond ecstatic when Sans had asked him out. Sure they seemed stable, but their relationship wasn’t official. So to have Sans be the one to take the initiative to ask him out on an official date had his soul swelling with happiness.

 

“You got that goofy look on your face again, dork.” Undyne teased as she took a sip of her water while wrapping the towel around her neck.

 

Papyrus immediately felt magic rush to his cheeks as he huffed in indignation. “WELL EXCUSE ME FOR BEING EXCITED ABOUT MY DATE!” Papyrus felt a little embarrassed that he was caught daydreaming about his impending outing with Sans. Even though it was now well established that he and Undyne were good friends, he still felt the need to impress her. She was an incredibly cool monster, and honestly a little intimidating. Sometimes he wasn’t completely sure when she was teasing. Undyne had opened up to him during their short friendship, showing him her true personality. She was loud, violent, and intense. The last thing he wanted was for someone as cool as her to think he was lame.

 

“Relax Papyrus, I’m just messing with you. It’s cool that you can make such an expression when thinking about someone you really care about.” Undyne smiled sincerely as she wiped the remaining sweat off her face with the towel.

 

“You think so?” Papyrus’ voice went soft as he looked up at Undyne with hope. Was his feelings for Sans really that obvious to other people? The jock skeleton pondered to himself, hoping that it was the same for Sans when thinking about him. It wasn’t that he doubted Sans feelings. It was that…

 

Papyrus frowned as he delved deeper into the hidden worries he had been able to push down for so long. Sans had yet to acknowledge him as an official boyfriend. Whenever the subject was brought up, Sans would dodge the question and any form of conversation. Yet they spent all their time together and did things that every typical couples does. A small part, a very small part of Papyrus worried that maybe Sans would never feel comfortable with commitment… Maybe Sans would eventually leave him because one day he might slip up and pressure the sophomore into putting a label on their relationship. Papyrus’ phalanges tightened on the broken pieces of board in his hands as the idea of Sans leaving him continued to dominate his thoughts.

 

“Yo Papyrus, you okay?” Undyne stepped forward and waved a hand in front of the skeleton’s blank stare.

 

“OH, YES! I AM QUITE ALL RIGHT!” Papyrus quirked as he tried to cover up any evidence of his thoughts.

 

“Paps… If you want to talk, I’m here to listen. I mean… you’ve done the same for me. This friendship is a two way street ya know?” Undyne smiled with a toothy grin as she playfully punched Papyrus on the shoulder, hoping her jostling would bring Papyrus out of his slump. 

 

Papyrus sighed realizing that it would be futile to try and lie to Undyne. She was just so darn perceptive!

 

“Sometimes I worry that Sans will never want to make things official. I try so hard to watch what I say to make sure I don’t accidentally say something that might seem pressuring to him… But I worry that someday I’ll slip up and I’ll scare him away…” Papyrus confessed, his voice getting softer the more he explained.

 

“Papyrus, the way you talk about Sans, and from what the school gossips about you guys, I can tell you two are inseparable.” Undyne gave Papyrus a reassuring smile as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder.

 

“Really?”

 

“Yes really. I haven’t really met Sans personally, but from what the football team says he never takes his eyes off you and he’s always watching you with a uh… protective stare. Not to mention that incident in culinary… I can’t imagine him leaving you that easily.”

 

Papyrus had never fully divulged the particulars around the almost attack in culinary, but enough gossip had been spread for Undyne to know Sans had been trying to protect Papyrus… in a weird almost murder-ish way. Even though all of it turned out to be one huge misunderstanding.

 

Papyrus smiled wearily at his friend’s reassuring words. Undyne had also reminded him he still needed to talk to Sans about the incident with Frisk from weeks ago. He truly was grateful for Undyne. She had become a fast but true friend.

 

“Thank you Undyne, you always know just what to say. Sometimes I feel like you are a better friend than I am.” Papyrus admitted with a small blush. It was true Papyrus prided himself in his skills be it athletic, or cooking, but he still felt he lacked the proper social skills to successfully gain friends in the same capacity as his team mates. It seemed as though socializing came so easily to the other football players, but the knowledge and skills always eluded him.

 

Undyne’s smile quickly faded as she let go of Papyrus’ shoulder and turned towards the direction of her forgotten gym bag. “I’m not that great a friend…” Her voice was back to the soft subdued tone that she had when she and Papyrus first met.

 

“Why do you say that?” Papyrus questioned as he took a seat on a nearby bench, patting the spot next to him as an invitation for his friend to join him.

 

Undyne turned and eyed the bench and Papyrus for a moment before she let out a sigh of defeat and sat down next to the jock skeleton right as he tossed the broken boards to the ground with the other shards.

 

“I just… I feel so fake… Actually I know I’m fake. Nothing about me is real. I always lie to my ‘friends’.” Undyne huffed, blowing her messy bangs out of her face. “If you can call them friends.”

 

“You aren’t fake around me…” Papyrus noted softly. He remembered very clearly how the fish monster used to act the night he met her. She was shy, reserved. He could tell she held back around the sorority girls. When they were alone, she was loud, boisterous, very much like a tom boy. The personalities Undyne had when around him versus her sorority sisters was almost like night and day.

 

Undyne laughed softly, almost as if it pained her. “You don’t know the half of it, Papyrus…”

 

“No but I do!” Papyrus turned and stared at Undyne with his determined sockets. “You are training to become a police officer, and not just any police officer, but chief of police! That is your dream! But the MSU Criminal Justice program requires you have leadership experience during your schooling. The only leadership programs available to you are with the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority. You have to act a certain way around those girls in order to fit in, or else you run the risk of getting kicked out. It’s the only way you can finish your schooling and reach your dreams. Trust me, I know the feeling…” Papyrus finished with a sympathetic smile. He knew all too well the feeling of acting how you’re expected around a team in order to keep up appearances. If Doggo or any other seniors wanted to, they could essentially push Papyrus out of the football team, thus removing the only scholarship keeping him in school. It was a very real threat. One he became increasingly aware of during the Homecoming after party.

 

Undyne smiled and let her shoulders relax as she rested her head on the tall skeleton’s shoulder. “You’re too good to me, Papyrus.”

 

“BUT OF COURSE! I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL!” Papyrus tucked a bony finger under his chin in a forced glamorous pose, his magic making small sparkles twinkle around him.

 

“Fuhuhuhu! You’re such a dork!” Undyne cracked and patted Papyrus’ back in laughter, her friend’s antics always finding a way to make her smile. 

 

After a few firm pats, Papyrus flinched and suddenly remembered he was on a strict timeline to get ready for his date with Sans. His and Undyne’s heart to heart distracted him from the task at hand.

 

“OH NO! THAT’S RIGHT! I HAVE TO GET READY FOR MY DATE WITH SANS!” Papyrus was quick to jump up and gather his book bag and gym bag.

 

“You better get going lover boy! Your princess awaits!” Undyne teased as she wiggled her eyebrows, making kissy faces at her flustered friend.

 

Papyrus felt his cheek bones burn with indignation, but couldn’t find his voice to shoot Undyne back with a witty retort. Papyrus had no problem treating Sans like a princess. He would gladly become Sans’ prince if it meant getting the smaller skeleton to finally open up around him.

 

Without another word, Papyrus gathered his belongings and began jogging back to his place to prepare for his date, Undyne waving and cheering him on for good luck in the back.

 

______________________________________________________________

 

Sans leaned against a wooden post, his bony fingers tapping to the beat of a song stuck in his head. Sans kept his sockets closed and his mind focused on the internal music to keep from nervously worrying about the upcoming date. Both Rus and Red were on dates themselves, so he had no one to text to keep his mind from overreacting. It was all he could do to keep calm as he waited for Papyrus to meet up with him. Sans took a moment to take a deep breath, filling his magical lungs with cool, crisp, fresh air.

 

Today would be the day he’d ask Papyrus to make things official.

 

Today was the day.

 

It wasn’t that he was worried Papyrus would say no. Hell he could already picture Papyrus’ face in his mind, his eyes sparkling with happiness in that goofy yet endearing way whenever he was really excited.

 

No, he was worried about himself and what making things official would mean for the two of them.

 

Did he truly deserve Papyrus? Did he have a right to be this happy? Was he really good for Papyrus? If he made things official, then when something went wrong… it only meant harsher heartbreak.

 

Sans frowned, his concentration straying from the music as his worries began to spiral out of control.

 

Did he even have a right to worry about himself? At this point in the relationship if he didn’t make things official with Papyrus, it would be him being the one using and abusing the jock skeleton.

 

Sans sighed as he opened his sockets to stare up at the clear blue sky. He was being incredibly selfish. He knew that. Papyrus had been nothing but kind and patient with him. He had no reason to question the other skeleton’s integrity. Papyrus had done nothing to insinuate that he would ever hurt, or betray him. Papyrus cared about him, that much was blatantly obvious. Sans clenched his jaw as he thought more about him and Papyrus.

 

He had let his fear control his life up to this point. It was about time he took that control back.

 

“SANS!”

 

Sans flinched and his soul began to speed up at the familiar voice that called his name. He turned and with a smile spotted Papyrus running up to his side. His smile widened as he saw Papyrus’ signature red scarf billowing behind him, almost as if magic was helping make it wave to look even cooler than it already did. The tall jock skeleton really looked like a young freshman in his street clothes. It was rare to see Papyrus outside of his leterman jacket, but Sans couldn’t help but admire the youthful attire the other skeleton decided to wear for their date. Papyrus sported a casual white and red baseball shirt with dark blue jeans. The outfit seemed a little bare for the weather, but Sans figured the location of the date would make up for the lack of jacket.

 

“Hey Papyr-oof!”

 

Sans was cut off before he could complete his greeting, Papyrus’ long arms quickly pulling Sans into a fierce, tight embrace. Sans felt his magic react to the affectionate gesture. Leave it to Papyrus to be unapologetically open about his feelings and public displays of affection. Sans couldn’t help but smile at the thought as he hugged Papyrus back, honestly a little grateful that the other skeleton pushed through the awkward, nervous greetings and went straight for the hug. It wasn’t like this was their first date. But today was a special day. Sans could only hope that he could keep his cool till he could muster the courage to officially ask Papyrus out.

 

“SO, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE DOING TODAY ON OUR DATE?” Papyrus couldn’t hold back the excitement from his voice as he pulled away from the hug.

 

“We’ll be spending the day here.” Sans’ smile eased into his normal grin as he pointed to the sign behind him.

 

There in flashing colorful lights read “New Home Fair”.

 

Papyrus’ hands flung up to his cheeks as his eyes sparkled. The fair! They were going to have their date at the fair! Papyrus had always wanted to go but never had any friends to go with. The fair wasn’t a place one went by themselves. It was the perfect venue for their date! “SANS THIS IS PERFECT! HOW DID YOU KNOW I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO GO?”

 

“I remember you commenting about it one day when we were relaxing on the couch.” Sans answered as he recalled the evening with perfect clarity. He made sure to store the information away for an occasion such as today.

 

Papyrus felt his soul glow ever so softly inside his chest. Sans had remembered such a minute detail. The small gesture felt like it made the world to him at this moment.

 

“Well then, what we waiting for?” Sans held his hand out, an ever so soft dusting of blue covering his cheeks. Stars Papyrus was cute when he was excited. It made Sans’ soul feel lighter to know the other skeleton was happy with the chosen date.

 

Papyrus beamed as he grabbed hold of Sans hand, letting the smaller skeleton lead him through the turnstile at the entrance of the fair. He waited patiently as Sans paid their entry and attached their unlimited ride wristband passes to their wrists and pocket a handful of game tickets. Once inside Papyrus couldn’t help but stare in both awe and excitement at all the rides and booths that lined the long pier. Booth workers yelled for people to step up and test their skills to win a prize as both monsters and humans alike roamed about the grounds; a few kids laughing loudly as they ran past groups to race each other to the front of the lines at rides.

 

“SANS THIS IS INCREDIBLE! WHAT DO WE DO FIRST?” Papyrus looked around, the amount of food and game options a little overwhelming.

 

“Whatever you want to do, babe.” Sans winked as he tucked his free hand into his blue jacket. His outfit was just as casual as Papyrus’, the smaller skeleton opting for a simple white t-shirt and blue jeans. Although he figured at some point during the night he might have to hand over his jacket, knowing how susceptible to the cold Papyrus got. 

 

Papyrus thought for a second as he scanned the fairgrounds, looking for a good place to start. “WHAT ABOUT THERE?” He asked as he pointed to a rather tall and impressive roller coaster.

 

Sans felt his eye lights vanish in his sockets as he stared wearily at the large metal monstrosity. It wasn’t Sans’ first time to the fair, but the scientist had successfully avoided all roller coasters… up to this point.

 

Sans felt his soul speed up in his rib cage. As a 1 HP monster, Sans made a point to avoid potentially dangerous situations. He had seen the horror of viral videos which captured the devastating moments of pedestrians being thrown off unsafe and un-serviced roller coasters. It was safe to say thrill rides were far, far down on his to-do list.

 

“SANS?” Papyrus questioned when he noticed the other skeleton frozen in place. Could it be possible that Sans was afraid? The thought had never occurred to the jock that Sans would be afraid of anything. Sans always seemed so calm and collected. He would have never guessed the smaller skeleton had hidden fears. “I-IF YOU DON’T WANT TO W-WE CAN GO ON SOMETHING ELSE.” Papyrus stammered and quickly offered, not wanting to push Sans into doing something he wasn’t comfortable with.

 

Drats! Ten minutes into the date and he was already messing it up with Sans. 

 

Sans finally forced his eye lights to return as he gazed uncertainly at the roller coaster ahead. He wasn’t thrilled about it one bit, but... Today was Papyrus’ day. Today was the day he’d show Papyrus just how truly grateful he was for everything the other skeleton did. Today was the day he’d say thank you for being so gentle and patient with him. Today was the day he’d make things official with Papyrus. Today was the day for Papyrus to have fun. Fun boyfriends went on roller coasters together, right? He could do this, he could do this, he could… force himself to do this.

 

Sans looked up and saw the nervous and worried look on Papyrus’ face. He could tell Papyrus saw how hesitant he was and he knew the other skeleton well enough that Papyrus would forget all about the roller coaster if it meant making Sans happy. Sans frowned knowing Papyrus would happily forget about the ride, even if it was something he wanted to do, just for his sake.

 

He couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t let that happen.

 

Today was Paps’ day.

 

“No Paps, I want to go. Let’s go on it, together.” Sans forced a fake and hopefully convincing smile onto his skull as he tugged on Papyrus’ hand, leading him towards the roller coaster's line.

 

“ARE YOU SURE?” Papyrus questioned as he noticed the small tremor in Sans’ hand, the smaller skeleton’s hold just a tad too tight to be convincing.

 

“Of course I’m sure.” Sans turned and waited quietly as the line slowly moved for the ride.

 

Papyrus could tell Sans was lying, but he couldn’t exactly force Sans to leave the line now that they were practically already at the front. Papyrus wanted to fidget, but Sans was still holding his hand. Darn it! He was trying to be so careful about not pushing Sans to do things he wasn’t comfortable with.

 

Before they knew it, the line had shrunk and the two skeletons were at the front near the coaster’s attendant waiting to be seated.

 

Sans felt his soul pounding in his chest and his hand involuntarily squeezed Papyrus’.

 

Papyrus frowned and looked down at Sans with a worried expression. “SANS, REALLY, THERE’S NO NEED TO FORCE YOURSELF TO-“

 

“Alright no holding up the line. You two, lets go.”

 

Both Papyrus and Sans flinched when a second attendant working the ride came up and escorted the two into the front car. Sans did his best to keep from instinctively teleporting away as the attendant pushed down the shoulder bars till they clicked in place. After a quick check to make sure the bars were set, the attendant moved to check the other cars.

 

Papyrus turned to give Sans a reassuring smile. Well, there wasn’t any turning back now. All that Papyrus could do at this point was try to comfort the other skeleton the best he could. “SANS, YOU WANT TO HOLD MY HAND?” Papyrus offered as he held open his hand to Sans, the other one holding onto the bar around his shoulder.

 

Sans turned to Papyrus with the most grateful look he could muster and held onto the hand offered to him.

 

Papyrus smiled brighter and before he could utter any words of encouragement, the car jostled and began to move forward.

 

Slowly, the coaster inched up a long, steep incline, the cars getting slower and slower as they reached the top. After what seemed like an eternity, the first car finally reached the peak and stopped briefly.

 

Sans took the moment to look out around the pier and the fairgrounds. Of course Papyrus would pick the biggest, tallest, and fastest roller coaster as his first ever ride.

 

First ride…

 

That’s right, Papyrus had never been the fair before. This was his first ever ride.

 

Sans felt a small ping of guilt as he realized he was making Papyrus worry about him instead of enjoying his time. Slowly, Sans took a few deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating soul. ‘Do it for him’ he repeated in his head before turning to face Papyrus and giving the taller skeleton a true, genuine smile.

 

Papyrus lit up seeing Sans smile. Maybe Sans wasn’t afraid after all. Still, Papyrus gave Sans’ hand a reassuring squeeze right as the car began to tip over the edge.

 

And just like that, they were plummeting.

 

Both Papyrus and Sans screamed as the roller coaster sped down the first dip and launched into a series of twists, turns, and flips.

 

Sans shut his sockets whenever the car turned upside down and he kept a strong hold of Papyrus’ hand.

 

Papyrus on the other hand was beaming and lifting his free arm into the air as he screamed in both joy and excitement. He laughed as the car jostled them every which way during sharp turns.

 

Sans free hand clenched the bar around his shoulder as if his life depended on it.

 

As the coaster sped up a second, but not as tall incline, Sans took the brief moment to look over at Papyrus. Even though every fiber of his being was screaming to get off the ride and seek safety, he couldn’t help but feel happy seeing how excited Papyrus was. His whole face lit up with enjoyment as he took in the thrills of the ride.

 

Not before long, the coaster dipped back into a second series of flips and twists, prompting Sans to shut his sockets once more and hopelessly wait for the ride to be over.

 

To Sans’ pleasure, the ride only lasted a few minutes before the cars slowed to a stop back at the beginning of the ride. The small skeleton let go of a breath he hadn’t realized he been holding as soon as the bars that locked them in place clicked free and lifted.

 

“THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!” Papyrus shouted with adrenaline as he stood from his seat.

 

“Yeah, it was fun.” Sans lied lamely, his arms and legs trembling like they were made of jello.

 

Papyrus smiled and helped Sans out of the car before leading the two of them to the ride’s exit. Once they were a ways away from the roller coaster, Papyrus suddenly leaned down and hugged Sans, catching the other skeleton off guard.

 

“Uh Paps?”

 

“Thank you for riding with me. I know you forced yourself to go on for my sake.” Papyrus spoke softly.

 

Sans felt his whole frame relaxing and the small tremors finally subsided. Slowly Sans slipped his arms around Papyrus as he hugged him back. “It was that obvious, huh?” He chucked in defeat, realizing there was no getting past Papyrus’ perceptive eye.

 

“Incredibly. But it was still greatly appreciated.” Papyrus finally let go of the hug and offered Sans his best and brightest smile.

 

Sans smiled as he watched Papyrus. He shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, unable to stop the small blush from glowing on his cheeks. “Geez Paps, sometimes you’re just too cool.” Sans couldn’t help but admire the skeleton before him. Leave it to Papyrus to find a way through his masks and crumble his walls in such a gentle, delicate way.

 

Papyrus’ skull lit up with a soft orange glow. It was true he sought the companionship and approval of strangers and admirers alike, but the one monster’s opinion that mattered most in his life was Sans’. Hearing Sans’ praises made his soul feel lighter and his confidence spiked.

 

“NYEH HEH HEH! WELL I AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS AFTER ALL! OF COURSE I WOULD BE THE COOLEST OF DUDES.” Papyrus boasted as he tried to hide his gratitude and embarrassment, as well as his ever increasing blush.

 

“Very great indeed.” Sans confirmed as he held onto one of Papyrus’ arms, leading them both down the pier to seek out other rides and games.

 

And hopefully no more roller coasters.

 

Papyrus beamed even brighter as he let Sans guide them to another ride, this one much smaller, but still exciting looking. “OH! LET’S GO ON THAT NEXT!”

 

“Sure thing, babe.” Sans agreed, this time much more relaxed and confident about the ride.

 

For a good several hours, Papyrus made it his goal to go on every ride he saw at least once. Sans was happy to accompany Papyrus, pleased that none of the other rides were as big or fast as the roller coaster. In fact, Sans found himself having just as much fun as Papyrus while riding some of the other rides. The two smiling and laughing as they were shot up into the air, or spun around at high speeds.

 

Sans laughed in amusement as Papyrus dizzily tried to walk to the next ride, his balance far from perfect. With a quick wave of his hand and a bit of blue magic, Sans was able to grab hold of Papyrus’ soul and guide the taller skeleton away from walls or pillars he almost stumbled into.

 

Once they had successfully rode all the rides, Papyrus and Sans took a moment near the food vendors to take a break. Sans wasted no time as he flopped down on one of the tables, his skull resting on the cool metal. To say Sans was tired was an understatement. He knew Papyrus had boundless amounts of energy, but actually keeping up with him for a whole day really put it all into perspective. Still, he was happy that Papyrus was enjoying himself. That’s all that mattered.

 

Papyrus smiled as he saw Sans flop over onto the table. He could admit he may have overdone it on the excitement. But still, he was grateful Sans stuck with him on his journey to try out every ride in the fair. “HOW ABOUT I GET US SOME FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS?” Papyrus offered knowing if Sans didn’t get some magic back in him he might fall asleep right there on the table. 

 

Sans looked up with a lazy grin and gave a weak thumbs up in approval.

 

Papyrus shot up from the table and made his way over to one of the many food booths. The tall skeleton looked over the menu, contemplating his choices when he spot the perfect items.

 

In no time at all Papyrus returned with armfuls of food and drink.

 

“HERE YOU ARE SANS.” Papyrus set down at drink with two hot dogs and a mountain of ketchup packets.

 

Sans face immediately lit up as he looked at the food.

 

“I KNOW THESE ARE YOUR FAVORITES.” Papyrus stated confidently as he sat down with his own hot dog and milkshake.

 

“Thanks Paps, but these are my second favorite.” Sans corrected as he sat up and began slathering his hot dogs in ketchup.

 

Papyrus froze mid bite and stared at Sans in shock and confusion. He was sure he had paid enough attention to know what Sans favorite food was. How had he gotten it wrong? What was his first favorite?

 

Sans noticed the confused look on Papyrus’ face and couldn’t hold back a soft chuckle. He guessed what Papyrus was thinking. “My first favorite is your spaghetti. Nothing beats your cooking, Paps.”

 

Papyrus’ skull immediately began to flush a soft orange glow. 

 

Sans gave Papyrus a playful wink which caused the other skeleton to look away, their magic glowing even brighter. Sans decided not to say anything to embarrass Papyrus further as he began to dig into his food.

 

Papyrus sipped his milkshake quietly, his soul fluttering in his chest.

 

After a moment of awkward silence, Papyrus was finally able to recover and start a pleasant conversation with Sans. The two talked about school, projects, movies; Papyrus unable to control himself as he gushed about the new romantic thriller that was to come out staring none other than his favorite celebrity, Mettaton. Sans made sure to take a mental note of the name of the movie. He would be sure to take Papyrus out when the movie released.

 

After a long while of chatting and eating, Sans noticed the sun had started to descend. It was getting close to night and they had yet to spend any of their game tickets.

 

“Say Paps, were there any games you wanted to play that you saw?” Sans asked as he sipped his soda, finishing off the drink.

 

“NOT THAT I CAN REMEMBER. WHY DON’T WE WALK AROUND AND SEE?” 

 

“Sure thing.” Sans got up from his seat, his magic and energy fully recharged from their break.

 

Papyrus smiled and grabbed hold of Sans hand before the two wondered off towards the game booths. Papyrus couldn’t help but hum happily as they walked around all the different games. Today had been so much fun, and Sans had been very much attentive. It was almost like they were a real official couple. Papyrus gently squeezed Sans hand as they made their way through the booths and was rewarded back a small squeeze in return. The tiny gesture caused his soul to hum happily. There was hope for their future yet.

 

Suddenly, Papyrus stopped walking as a glimmer of something large and long caught his eye. There, hanging on one of the top racks of a game booth was a giant plush hot dog. Bingo! Immediately Papyrus headed towards the booth, his determination burning. He would win that hot dog pillow for Sans. Nothing said official boyfriend material more than winning a prize for their significant other!

 

Sans stood back and watched Papyrus smack down a handful of tickets at the booth. He looked over the game with a skeptical eye. All Papyrus had to do was knock down 10 metal bottles with a bean bag. It might seem impossible, but Papyrus was an athlete, so the velocity of his throwing arm might make up for the lack of weight of the bean bag.

 

The human booth attendant gave a cocky smile as he set down three bean bags for Papyrus to throw before pocketing all the tickets.

 

Papyrus picked up a bean bag and zoned in on the bottles. This was a test of skill. There was no way he could lose. He was a football player for the prestigious Monster State University. He had all the training he needed to win that hot dog and impress Sans.

 

After eyeing his target Papyrus stepped back, and with focused strength he shot the bean bag at the tower of metal bottles, striking the structure dead in the center.

 

Six fell over.

 

“WHAT?” Papyrus gawked in disbelief.

 

Impossible. He had put so much force into that throw.

 

“You got two more tries.” The attendant stated as he set the bottles back up.

 

Papyrus felt a small sheen of sweat gather at his skull. He didn’t want to risk looking back at Sans to see the look of disappointment on the other skeleton’s face. Instead, Papyrus quickly grabbed another bean bag and this time focused on force over precision. With much more wild strength, Papyrus shot the second bean bag at the bottle structure.

 

Three fell over.

 

Papyrus felt a flush of embarrassment. He had missed the majority of the structure in his blind, vigorous throw.

 

“One more try.” The attendant informed after he fixed the bottles once again.

 

Papyrus grabbed hold of the last bean bag and stared at the object with uncertainty.

 

“You got this, Papyrus!” Sans cheered from behind.

 

Papyrus turned and felt himself warming to the sight of Sans bright, confident smile. Sans wasn’t disappointed in him, he was cheering him on. The most important monster in his life right now was giving him support.

 

With renewed vigor and determination, Papyrus turned back towards the bottles. With narrowed sockets, Papyrus honed in on both precision and speed. He could do this. He would do this! For Sans! Suddenly, Papyrus’ eye began to smoke with a wisp of orange magic, all his physical, mental, and magical strength focused on this one task. After a few moments of quiet analyzing, Papyrus pulled his arm back and shot the bean bag as fast and as hard as he could right dead center of the bottle tower.

 

With a metallic clank, bottles flew and scattered each way.

 

Both Papyrus and Sans held their breath as bottle after bottle tipped over.

 

Nine and a half fell.

 

Papyrus stared in confusion at the broken metal bottle still sitting on the stand, sharp jagged edges of the broken bottle pushed back by the sheer force of the throw.

 

“Uhh… too bad kid. Guess you lose?” The attendant stammered but still held a cocky smirk on his face. He couldn’t believe a kid could throw like that. But half the bottle was still firmly glued onto the table, so he was going to call it a loss.

 

“HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE?” Papyrus asked, sadness and defeat laced in his voice over his failure. He wanted to win that hot dog pillow for Sans so badly!

 

“Rules are rules.” The attendant laughed and began counting his stash of tickets. So what if he got caught rigging the game. What were two measly monsters going to do about it?

 

Papyrus’ shoulders slumped, not sure how to handle the situation. It was obvious the game was rigged, he could see that now, but what was he to do when the attendant called all the shots? Papyrus stood still, not sure if he should stand his ground with the shady human or admit defeat in order to avoid making a scene.

 

“H e y b u d d y.”

 

The attendant suddenly froze his counting and a chill inched its way up his spine. Slowly, the man turned towards the direction of the voice and his heart stilled in his chest while his voice caught in his throat. The human stared in fear and horror as Sans stared directly at him, his sockets completely hollow and a strange, dark, menacing aura clouding the booth. The human couldn’t tell if this was magic or if these monsters were actually demons from hell. Not once had he felt more afraid than he did right this second. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he was on trial, being judged for his shady behavior.

 

“We all know you rigged the game. Papyrus won fair and square. How’s about you give him his prize, unless…”

 

Goose bumps bubbled to the surface, covering the human’s flesh in an uneasy feel. The shivers that ran up his spine intensified. It was as if his sins were crawling on his back.

 

“… you want to have a bad time…” Sans left eye suddenly appeared, glowing with powerful blue, threatening magic. The message was very clear.

 

Not wanting to take the chance to see what ‘having a bad time’ meant, the man quickly nodded his head, agreeing with the smaller, intimidating skeleton. He then turned to Papyrus, his whole frame visibly shaken. “W-what prize would you like, sir?” His voice squeaked.

 

Papyrus blinked in confusion at the human’s sudden and drastic shift in personality. He immediately turned towards Sans, curious as to what scared the human so much that he would suddenly change his mind. Sans simply stared back at Papyrus, his eye lights their normal white glow and his usual easy going grin plastered on his face.

 

Strange… Humans are so weird.

 

Papyrus then turned back towards the attendant, not giving the odd exchange between him and Sans any further thought as he pointed confidently towards the plush hot dog on the top rack. “I WOULD LIKE THE SQUISHY HOT DOG PLEASE!”

 

“Sure t-thing, sir!” The human smiled nervously, constantly glancing back at Sans as he used a hook to get the hot dog off the highest rack. He then shoved the prize into Papyrus’ hands and before either skeleton could say anything, the human placed the ‘On break’ sign on his booth and ran towards the employee lounge.

 

“THAT WAS ODD…” Papyrus noted.

 

“Eh probably needed to use the bathroom or something.” Sans shrugged nonchalantly. “By the way, congrats on winning Papyrus. I knew you were pretty great guy, but winning a rigged game… wow, you really are the greatest.”

 

“No Sans, you are.”

 

Sans blinked in confusion as Papyrus turned around and offered the plush hot dog to him. The small skeleton stared in shock before slowly reaching out to take the prize, a soft dusting of blue magic forming on his cheeks. “Papyrus? Why would you give me…?”

 

Papyrus smiled, pleased with how shocked and happy Sans looked. He struck a confident pose, hands on his hips as he gave a little ‘Nyeh’ of victory. “I WON IT FOR YOU OF COURSE! THAT IS WHAT GREAT BOYFRIENDS DO AFTER ALL!”

 

As soon as the words left Papyrus’ mouth he immediately regretted it.

 

The tall skeleton flinched and smacked a bony hand across his teeth, his sockets wide. Crap! He messed up! He messed up big time! What was he thinking? Why did he say that? He was trying so hard to watch his words, to pick them carefully, all so he wouldn’t slip and say something that might scare Sans off. He knew how skittish Sans was of commitment. He knew Sans avoided labeling their relationship for a reason. He knew Sans wasn’t ready to make things official. And now he practically slapped a label on them without even talking to Sans first! Oh Stars, this was it. He had scared Sans off for good, he was sure of it. Papyrus looked down, worry and panic coursing through his bones as he waited for Sans’ reaction. How he wished he could go back in time right now.

 

Sans stared up at Papyrus in silent shock. His sockets were wide and his blush was even brighter. For a moment, the world froze around them. It was like time had stopped.

 

Papyrus felt tears beginning to well in his sockets the longer Sans stayed quiet.

 

No, he wasn’t ready. He wasn’t ready for Sans to leave him. He wanted to stay by Sans side. He wanted to hold the other skeleton close and shower him in affection. He wanted to come home to him and talk to him about his day and listen to Sans talk about his as well. He wanted Sans to be there when he won more football games. He wanted to sit and hand Sans tools while he worked in the lab. He wanted a future with Sans… He wasn’t ready to give it all up!

 

“Heh…”

 

The small chuckle broke Papyrus out of his spiraling thoughts and stilled his tears before they could fall.

 

“Wow Paps, you really are the greatest…” Sans whispered softly.

 

Papyrus flinched, confused by Sans’ words. That… wasn’t what he was expecting.

 

“W-what…? I am…?” Papyrus asked in disbelief, his frame still stiff and his hand still over his mouth.

 

Sans looked down, his skull glowing his prominent blue colored magic. The small skeleton shuffled nervously in place, his arms wrapping around the plush hot dog, hugging it to his chest. Papyrus could practically feel the nervous emotions emanating off the other skeleton in front of him. It was a strange and foreign feel. 

 

“You see… throughout this whole date… I was actually working up the nerve to ask you… well to ask you if you…”

 

Sans gripped the hot dog tighter, his soft white eye lights roaming back up to Papyrus’ face. Papyrus slowly lowered his hand as he gazed down at Sans’ nervous frame. It was the first time he’d ever seen Sans like this. Papyrus couldn’t help but blush in reaction. Sans looked just too darn cute! And what was he so nervous about asking? Why wasn’t Sans mad at him? This didn’t make any sense.

 

Sans took a deep, shaky breath before straightening his posture. He turned to face Papyrus directly, his eyes focused on the jock skeleton before him. His phalanges still gripped at the plush hot dog like a lifeline, but Sans made sure to face the other and speak clearly.

 

“Papyrus I wanted to ask… if you would be my boyfriend. Officially.”

 

. . .

 

What?

 

He… Sans wanted him to…

 

Boyfriends…

 

“Sans…” Papyrus breathed out in an almost inaudible whisper.

 

Papyrus felt a sudden rush of joy flood his soul and without waiting another second, he lunged forward and scooped Sans up into his arms. Immediately he crushed their teeth together in a deep, passionate kiss. Sans yelped in surprise at the sudden affectionate attack, but in no time at all he was returning the kiss, melting into Papyrus’ strong, comforting hold. Papyrus ignored the world around him. It was just Sans and him. Nothing else mattered. It was like everything was right in the world and nothing could bring him down from his high. Sans mewled helplessly into the kiss, letting Papyrus’ eager tongue dominate his mouth as their tongues danced and mingled. Papyrus’ hold tightened as he moaned softly against Sans’ teeth, his soul and magic over reacting to his emotions. Sans shivered at the sound, Papyrus’ noises of pleasure making his own magic spark with interest.

 

After a while, Papyrus finally pulled away revealing a blushing, panting mess of a skeleton in his arms. Papyrus smiled fondly feeling a blush of his own burning his cheek bones. He couldn’t stop from smiling. He was just too happy. 

 

“So I guess I’ll take that as a ‘yes’? Sans whispered breathlessly, an amused grin on his face.

 

“Yes.” Papyrus confirmed as he rested his forehead against Sans’, nuzzling him affectionately.

 

Sans felt his soul lighten. It was like a weight had finally lifted. Papyrus was his boyfriend. They were finally a couple. Sans was finally moving on with his life, and he couldn’t be more excited. He knew Papyrus wouldn’t hurt him. He knew the other skeleton was one of the kindest, most sincere monsters he’d ever met. He could trust Papyrus. He could open up to the jock skeleton without worrying the other would run away, or use him. It’s like he was made just to be held in Papyrus’ arms.

 

His past was finally in the past. He had the courage and strength to move on. And he owed it all to Papyrus.

 

After the sparks of the moment died down, Papyrus finally noticed just how crowded the fair was. He felt a bit embarrassed as both groups of monsters and humans walked by, most of which giving them odd looks.

 

“UM… SANS? MAYBE WE SHOULD GO SOMEWHERE MORE PRIVATE…” Papyrus offered, his blush glowing even brighter at the unwanted attention.

 

“Yeah sure. I know of a place.”

 

Sans caught onto Papyrus’ feelings immediately and grabbed the taller skeleton’s hand, leading him towards the edge of the pier where there were a few benches that overlooked the ocean. Sans was happy to see that all the benches were empty. The fair didn’t build any rides, or booths this far out on the pier for safety reasons. It was almost always barren due to the fact that the rest of the rides and games were so far away. Sans had come here once before, discovering that it was a perfect spot for star gazing.

 

The two sat down on a lone bench that overlooked the soft waves of the ocean. Papyrus took in a deep breath of the salty, cold, fresh air as he leaned back against the bench, his hand still holding Sans’, their fingers entwined. “This is the best day ever…” Papyrus thought out loud as he watched the moon begin to rise over the ocean, its gentle glow rippling across the pristine water.

 

Sans’ smile softened as soon as he felt Papyrus’ thumb rub against his fingers. It was a tender gesture, but the emotions behind it were strong. “Yeah it is…” Sans agreed before resting his head on Papyrus’ shoulder.

 

As soon as Sans moved close, he felt a small shiver run up Papyrus’ spine. Sans immediately looked up to see if Papyrus was okay. “Paps, you cold?”

 

Papyrus’ face was scrunched up, determined not to let his body shiver any further as more gusts of cold wind danced across his exposed bones. “No…” Papyrus’ voice was shaky. An obvious lie. It had been warm deeper in the fairgrounds, but out towards the edge of the pier so close to the water, the cool weather of the coming winter was ever more prominent.

 

Sans let out an amused chuckle as he slid his blue jacket off his shoulders and wrapped the garment around Papyrus. He knew this was going to happen. Papyrus was just too warm-marrowed to handle the cold ocean breezes without a jacket. “Here you go babe, this should keep you warm.” Sans smiled and huddled closer to Papyrus once the jacket was zipped up around the taller skeleton. He was glad he always wore baggy clothes, the jacket easily fit Papyrus’ taller frame.

 

Papyrus felt his cheeks begin to glow in the dark. He was touched by the thoughtful gesture and how close and open Sans was being. He didn’t even need to grab and pull the smaller skeleton close, he moved in on his own. Papyrus quickly wrapped his arms around Sans and held him even tighter. He had to be dreaming, this was all just too perfect.

 

There was a comfortable silence between the two as they sat watching the moon rise and the stars begin to shine.

 

“Wow… It’s so clear tonight…” Sans whispered as he continued to rest his skull on Papyrus.

 

“It is.” Papyrus noted, his hand running gently up and down Sans’ arm.

 

“Hey Paps, look. You can see the big dipper over there. And there’s Aquarius.” Sans’ eye lights began to shine as he looked across the clear night sky, pointing out constellations.

 

Papyrus perked up and looked down at Sans in surprise. “Sans I didn’t know you liked stars so much.” It was entrancing watching Sans light up over something as simple as a few star clusters. Papyrus found himself even more enamored with the small skeleton in his arms. He was so passionate about so many things! Who knew? Papyrus found himself realizing how grateful he was for meeting Sans. To anyone who didn’t know Sans that well, they would just assume he was a lazy jokester. But Papyrus knew better. He was still finding out little things about Sans every day. And he loved it. 

 

“Yeah, I’ve always had a thing for astronomy.” Sans admitted shyly as he scratched at one of his cheeks.

 

“Just like you always had a thing for The Great Papyrus.” Papyrus joked and faked a confident pose.

 

“Exactly.” Sans affirmed, to Papyrus’ surprise.

 

“W-what?” Papyrus stammered, shocked by this new information. “You’ve always had a thing for me? Does… does that mean you’ve always wanted to… date me?” Papyrus felt his blush returning full force. This was news to him. Up until now, Papyrus had always assumed Sans was trying to avoid relationships.

 

Sans was quiet for a while, his phalanges clenching the jacket around Papyrus. “Yes and no.” Sans finally responded softly. His tone carried a note of sadness.

 

“What do you mean?” Originally Papyrus had made the comment as a joke, but it seemed as though he had uncovered some secrets of Sans’ without even realizing. He was curious to hear Sans’ answer. It seemed as though Sans was finally opening up to him, and Papyrus wanted to take advantage of the moment the best he could before Sans closed himself off again.

 

Sans sighed softly as he nuzzled his skull into Papyrus further, almost as if he was trying to hide his face. “Papyrus… I don’t really have any experience with… this.”

 

“This?” Papyrus asked, confused as to what Sans meant.

 

“This… a healthy, official relationship. I’ve never really had one before.” Sans admitted softly, his frame shrinking in defeat. His mind flashed to his freshmen year, repeating all the events in his head. Hindsight is 20/20, but at the time Sans thought everything was fine. Unfortunately, he could never be more wrong. Sans couldn’t stop thinking of all the mistakes he made, red flags he ignored, all so he could keep the attention of someone who didn’t care about him. Someone who ended up breaking him beyond repair.

 

“Oh…” Papyrus could practically feel the sadness radiating from Sans soul. This bit of information was shocking to say the least. He had always assumed Sans had no problem wooing potential mates. In his mind, Papyrus saw Sans as the most desirable monster there was. He was smart, driven, caring, attentive, handsome, and adorable all in one. Papyrus was surprised that more people weren’t after the popular sophomore. “If it makes you feel any better, neither have I.” Papyrus admitted, hoping that sharing in that fact that they were both relationship virgins would put Sans soul at ease.

 

Sans smiled softly, realizing that Papyrus didn’t exactly get what he meant. He decided it was best not to elaborate. Besides, the past was in the past. Papyrus was all that mattered now. “It helps.” Sans smiled wider as he nuzzled closer into Papyrus’ hold. “I always had a thing for you, it’s just… I didn’t want to have a thing for you. Because I don’t really have any experience with healthy relationships, I was worried that once we became official, I would mess everything up… or something would happen that would take you away from me… I thought I wouldn’t be good enough for you...”

 

“Take me away from you? Good enough?” Papyrus felt his soul ping with conflicting emotion, both happy and sad. So that’s why Sans was so scared to open up, why he was so distant. Everything began to make sense. On one hand he was happy to hear that Sans had wanted to be with him from the very beginning, just like him, but on the other hand he was troubled to hear Sans speak so lowly of himself. “Sans, nothing could take me away from you. And you are more than good enough. I wouldn’t have chosen to flirt with you on the first day of school had you not met my standards.” Papyrus explained, hoping to put Sans’ insecurities to rest.

 

Sans felt his cheeks warm at the comment. Papyrus was flirting with him on that first day of school. He had forgot. Sans chuckled softly at the memory. Sometimes Papyrus was so innocent and naive, and sometimes he was incredibly perceptive and straightforward. Sans was always being thrown a loop, confused whether to look out and protect Papyrus, or let the jock skeleton take the lead in their relationship.

 

“So… your attraction to me and your fear of losing me… is that why you attacked Frisk while you were sleep walking?” Papyrus asked softly. He wasn’t sure if he should bring the topic up, but Sans was being so open. He didn’t want to miss the opportunity.

 

Sans frowned as he buried his skull further against Papyrus’ chest. Of course Papyrus would want answers from that day. It’s not like he could dodge the subject forever. Since he was being honest, he might as well tell Papyrus about the dreams… They were officially a couple now, and couples opened up to each other, right? Sans felt his soul pulse with conflicting emotions. He wanted to lie and dodge the issue all together to save Papyrus the trouble, but at the same time he didn’t want to start a brand new relationship with Papyrus by lying. Sans’ phalanges flexed as he contemplated his options. Would Papyrus think he was weird? Would he think there was something wrong with him? Would he think he was more trouble than he was worth?

 

Papyrus could tell Sans was struggling with his answer. He decided to stay quiet and allow Sans all the time he needed to decide. He wasn’t going to force Sans to answer, but he would like it if he did. Instead of pushing the smaller skeleton, Papyrus opted for pressing chaste skeletal kisses atop Sans’ skull, his hands running affectionately against Sans’ bear arms.

 

Sans felt the light kisses and soft touches, making him relax further into Papyrus’ hold. After a while of gentle caressing, he finally relaxed and came to a decision. Papyrus was so patient and gentle with him. He could trust the other skeleton. There was no need to worry. Papyrus cared about him. As foreign as that concept was, Sans was ready to open up to Papyrus.

 

Sans finally sighed and moved so that he was sitting up straight. He could tell that Papyrus was watching him carefully out the corner of his eye. He kept his gaze out towards the ocean as he began to recount the strange, ambiguous dreams. “Sometimes, I have these nightmares. They are really vague. Usually just flashes of color and shapes. But… as the nightmares kept returning, the more details I began to dream. Eventually, I was able to see that… I was dreaming about you… being killed.”

 

Papyrus flinched and frowned at Sans words. No wonder he always seemed exhausted. What terrible dreams for someone to have!

 

“I dream that we’re in some town covered in snow. You’re always in your battle body costume for some reason. And you’re always talking to a human… and they look a lot like Frisk…” Sans resumed, his voice going softer as he continued to explain. “No matter what I do, I can never reach you in time… no matter how fast I run, no matter how loud I scream… I just watch helplessly as the human… kills you.” Sans finally finished in a pained whisper, his hands clenched and shaking in his lap. Sans focused on the lapping waves, trying to keep the memories of the dreams from repeating in his head. It was all he could do to keep his emotions in check.

 

Papyrus stared at Sans in shocked silence, unsure how to process the new information. No wonder Sans attacked Frisk that day in culinary. It all made sense. Although, he wasn’t sure how he felt about these dreams. Was Sans’ fears of losing him that strong that they would manifest themselves into nightmares? He had no idea Sans cared so much. The thought both upset and warmed his soul. Papyrus was happy that Sans cared about him and their relationship that much, but at the same time he knew having these continuous nightmares weren’t healthy. Not one bit. For stars sake everyone was beginning to notice the dark circles permanently placed under Sans’ sockets.

 

Papyrus smiled weakly as he leaned down and nuzzled Sans’ neck. His arm snaked around Sans’ side as he pulled the smaller skeleton into a close, caring cuddle. “Sans… I have no intention of ever leaving you. And Frisk is our friend. She would never hurt us. I am going to stay by your side as I have been. You need not worry.” Papyrus stated, hoping his reassuring words could put Sans’ worries to rest once and for all. Honestly, he felt a little helpless. All he could offer the smaller skeleton in his arms were his words. Only time could he prove that he would stay by Sans’ side. Their relationship was fresh and new, but at the same time it felt like they had been together for a while now. Papyrus couldn’t do much except will his soul to reach out and comfort Sans. Maybe his magic could help prove his words. Prove his devotion and loyally. He didn’t like seeing the other skeleton upset, and now that he knew why Sans was always so tired and missing sleep he wanted to do everything in his power to help ease his new boyfriends worries away.

 

Sans could feel the comforting, warm, and familiar magic radiating from Papyrus’ soul. It heated his bones, leaving anywhere Papyrus touched in tingles. Sans finally let go of a deep sigh and his whole body began to relax. His soul gladly accepted the comforting emotions, Papyrus’ magic washing away his anxiety in its protective glow. So this is what it was like to have someone care about you. To have someone hold you and comfort you. Sans wanted to stay on the bench in Papyrus’ arms forever. The heavy protective magic began to cloud Sans’ mind and for a moment, he forgot everything that happened his freshman year. It was as if he was never broken and everything was right in the world. 

 

“Sans.” Papyrus whispered. His soul was glowing bright, only slightly muted by his baseball shirt and borrowed jacket.

 

“Yes Papyrus?” Sans mumbled in a bit of a daze.

 

Suddenly, without warning, Papyrus lifted Sans up and placed the small skeleton on his lap. Sans blushed as he straddled Papyrus’ lap, his eye lights quickly scanning around the benches to make sure they were still alone. Once he saw they still had their privacy, Sans looked back over and stared questioningly at Papyrus.

 

“Paps?”

 

Papyrus gently cupped Sans skull as he leaned in, their teeth just inches apart. Sans felt his soul speed up and his sockets lowered, his eye lights hazed and the glow blown brighter as he stared at his boyfriend. He waited with baited breath to see what Papyrus wanted.

 

Papyrus looked as if he wanted to say something, his mouth opening as if struggling to voice his thoughts. After a moment, Papyrus suddenly leaned forward and crushed their teeth together in a deep, desperate kiss. Sans immediately melted into the kiss, letting out soft whimpers of pleasure as he wrapped his arms around Papyrus’ vertebra. Papyrus’ magic had been strong, and it had washed over every inch of bone, warming and heightening his senses. Sans’ own magic was tingling from the charge, ready to react, just begging for stimulation. 

 

“Sans…” Papyrus spoke breathlessly in between kisses, his hands fanning up and caressing Sans’ ribs through his shirt. “Can we go home?” Papyrus’ words said the date was over, but the tone and the soft breathy moan said the date would continue once they reached Sans’ dorm.

 

Sans felt a shiver of anticipation run up his spine. Without even realizing, he began grinding his hips against Papyrus’, his magic pooling to his pelvis, drawn by the friction of their rubbing. “Paps… are you sure?” Sans couldn’t tell if Papyrus was hinting at what he thought he was. The jock skeleton had been adamant about taking the sexual aspect of their relationship slow. Did this mean he was ready to go all the way? Sans felt his bones buzz with excitement, eager and ready to feel Papyrus’ magic once again.

 

“Yes Sans, I… I want my first time to be with you…” Papyrus confessed, his skull glowing with both arousal and nervousness. Truth be told, he had wanted to ravish Sans for a while now. He only held out in fear of coming off as someone who was only interested in the sex. He wanted the Sans to understand the depth of his feelings. He wanted to prove to the other skeleton that he cared about him for him, not just his body. He didn’t want to be like the other jocks on his team.

 

Sans felt his skull burn brighter from Papyrus’ words. So this was really happening. They were finally going to go all the way. With Papyrus’ confirmation, Sans’ confidence rose and he reached down, his phalanges gripping the top of Papyrus’ iliac crests and pulling the taller skeleton’s pelvis forward as he ground hard against the warm coalescing mold of magic in Papyrus’ pants. Sans leaned down and panted hotly against the side of Papyrus’ skull, his teeth just barely brushing against his head with feather soft kisses. “I want you to take me…” Sans whispered. “You and only you…”

 

Papyrus felt his magic flare and his cock manifested in the confines of his jeans, his head rubbing against the cloth as Sans’ sensual grinding edged him on even further. Unable to resist, Papyrus’ hands slid up into Sans’ shirt and he began to rub the sensitive ribs underneath. He made sure to stroke the lower ribs slowly, knowing that those were Sans’ weak spots. Sans threw his head back and let out a startled moan, unprepared for Papyrus’ aggressive teasing. Papyrus saw his opening and lunged forward, biting down gently on Sans exposed vertebra. He let his long, orange tongue slip out and caress every dip and groove. He continued till Sans was trembling uncontrollably in his arms, his mouth open as he panted softly. “Take us home before I lose control and take you right here…” Papyrus practically growled in lust as he continued to bite and kiss Sans’ neck. Something about Sans always brought out his carnal desires. His manors and insecurities thrown to the wind.

 

Sans could barely nod before focusing on his magic and teleporting the two to his dorm

 

______________________________________________________________

 

With a *blip* the two reappeared from the small ripple in time and space.

 

Sans was pleased to find he had focused well enough to teleport them right above his bead. Right on target. After a moment of floating, the two plummeted to the soft mattress below sending blankets and pillows strewing about.

 

Sans and Papyrus gave a soft ‘oomph’ as they landed, the two letting out small giggles of excitement before immediately lunging themselves at one another and resuming their heated kissing. 

 

Papyrus found his nerves completely overpowered by the heat of the moment. His burning magic guiding his movements as he shifted above Sans, pinning the small skeleton to the bed. He deepened the kiss, his tongue dominating Sans’ as the two appendages moved and entwined. Papyrus drank in the mewls and desperate moans Sans made as his orange tongue explored the other’s mouth. He could feel Sans bucking up into him, the sophomore’s hands gripping helplessly at the sleeves of his borrowed jacket. Papyrus felt a small shiver of excitement run up his spine. He was causing Sans to moan so much. His hands were causing Sans to writhe in pleasure. The thought fueled his desires. He wanted Sans to completely break down. He wanted to drive the smaller skeleton to the brink of pure bliss, then throw him over the edge of ecstasy.

 

With hasty and shaky hands, Papyrus began to remove his borrowed jacket and scarf. As he removed the articles of clothing, he was sure to pepper kisses all along Sans’ neck and exposed clavicle.

 

Sans could hardly think straight as his magic buzzed all over. He could feel a concentration of his magic pooling towards his pelvis but the magic was unsure what form to take. Sans didn’t want to form a specific set of genitalia just yet. He wanted to wait and see which position Papyrus would be more comfortable taking. It was the jock skeleton’s first time, and Sans wanted to make sure it was a pleasant, comfortable first experience. He would hold back on letting his magic form, regardless how hot and excited Papyrus was making him. 

 

Papyrus paused his affectionate assault on Sans long enough to remove his white and red baseball shirt. Now that most his clothes were off, there was nothing to mute the glow of Papyrus’ soul. The taller skeleton noticed an orange hue emanating from his rib cage, freezing his actions completely. Papyrus looked down at his own glow and his magic rushed to his cheeks in embarrassment. Did couples always glow when having sex? Was he too excited? Papyrus knew sex was an incredibly intimate act, but having his soul showing too made the whole situation that much more intense.

 

Sans quickly noticed the shift in Papyrus’ demeanor. The once confident and dominant skeleton was now nervously looking around, unsure what to do next. Sans’ hazy eye lights trailed to the orange glow coming from behind Papyrus’ sternum and his half lidded sockets widened. Well this was new. Sans felt his own soul heating up to the sight of Papyrus’ glow. Never before had he ever been with someone whose feelings were so strong for him that their soul glowed during sex. Sans felt his skull warm and he was sure his own magic was being prominently displayed all over his face.

 

Sans wasn’t turned off by the sight of Papyrus’ glow. If anything it made his magic spark to life even further. Sans couldn’t help but feel overjoyed at the sight. There was no way he could doubt Papyrus’ feelings for him now. A monsters soul didn’t lie.

 

Slowly, Sans grabbed hold of Papyrus’ shaking hands, his thumbs rubbing over Papyrus’ phalanges gently. Papyrus looked down and saw Sans smiling up at him, a bright blue glow covering his cheeks. He could feel the pulses of warm, caring magic coming from the smaller skeleton beneath him. It was Sans’ silent way of telling him everything was going to be alright. Papyrus felt himself relaxing the longer he stared down at Sans. Stars he was lucky to have Sans.

 

Once Sans noticed Papyrus was calmed down, he decided it was his turn to take charge. Slowly, Sans began to guide Papyrus’ hands up his shirt, raising the garment in the process. He moved Papyrus’ hands all over his body, fanning his long bony fingers out over his sternum and ribs. Sans didn’t break eye contact as he guided Papyrus’ hands all over him, his breath coming out in small hitches and pants as Papyrus began to rub and grip the smaller skeletons ribs on his own.

 

“Paps…A-ahh!” Sans moaned, his sockets fluttering closed once Papyrus’ hands made their way to his spine.

 

“Sans…” Papyrus whispered, his magic building to its limits as his left eye began to glow. Slowly, Papyrus’ hands made their way down Sans’ spine till his fingertips dipped into the hem of the smaller skeletons pants. With a flick of his free hand, Papyrus unbuttoned and unzipped Sans’ jeans, allowing the taller skeleton access to the sensitive bones underneath. This wasn’t the first time he had touched Sans, but this would be the first time where he didn’t have to hold himself back. Papyrus watched with heated desire as Sans laid sprawled out before him, blushing and panting, just waiting for him to have his way with the other. Slowly, Papyrus began to rub Sans’ pubic arch, his fingers sliding between the crevasse as he helped mold Sans’ magic into something he could enter.

 

Sans rolled his head back and let lose loud whimpers and moans of pleasure, Papyrus’ fingers finally giving him the much needed stimulation to guide his magic into forming his genitalia. Sans submitted to Papyrus’ will completely as he let the taller skeleton mold his magic into a slick, wet pussy.

 

Papyrus pulled down Sans’ pants with his free hand as he began to rub the puffy lips of Sans’ weeping pussy. His sockets widened as he gazed down on the smooth eco pussy below, entranced by how soft and wet it was. This was the first time he had seen Sans’ vagina. Normally the smaller skeleton would conjure an ecto cock. So this meant Sans was okay with letting him top. This was really happening.

 

“So do I… Do I just go in?” Papyrus wasn’t sure what to do. Sure he had seen porn and knew the basics, but he didn’t want to hurt Sans. He knew how fragile his now boyfriend was with his one HP. He didn’t know the proper way to prepare someone for sex and he was sure he was going to mess up somewhere. Papyrus felt his nerves return, convinced Sans would be disappointed with his inexperience.

 

Instead of laughing or getting upset, Sans simply smiled fondly up at his boyfriend. He knew there was a limit to Papyrus’ sexual experience, and they had finally reached it. It didn’t bother him though, he was more than happy to help guide Papyrus through his first time.

 

“No Paps, you got to make sure we’re both prepped and ready first. I got to be stretched and you got to be wet.” Sans explained as he ran his hand gently up Papyrus’ sternum, earning a satisfying shiver from the taller skeleton.

 

“How do I do that?” Papyrus asked with a little less nervousness to his voice.

 

“I know of one way.” Sans smirked seductively as he leaned up and forced papyrus to sit up on his knees. In one quick motion, Sans pulled down Papyrus’ pants, freeing the throbbing orange eco cock from its confines.

 

Papyrus watched with baited breath as Sans got down on all fours, his mouth open to reveal his glowing blue tongue and tiny four fangs. His cock twitched as soon as the blue appendage made contact, his magic heating up to the feel of Sans tongue lapping at his head. Papyrus had to bite down on his own tongue to keep from letting lose a string of incoherent moans. Sans was barely touching him but he felt like he was going to lose his mind.

 

“This okay, Papyrus?” Sans asked as he lazily dragged his tongue up the underside of Papyrus’ orange cock. “Should I continue?” Sans looked up at Papyrus as he continued to lick the member in his face, his tongue catching the tiny bead of precum dripping from Papyrus’ tip.

 

Papyrus swallowed hard as he watched Sans stare up at him, his own cock just inches from the smaller skeleton’s face, twitching with pent up arousal. “S-SANS… SUCK ME.” Papyrus ordered, knowing that was what Sans was waiting for.

 

Sans felt a shiver run up his spine at Papyrus’ commanding tone. Something about Papyrus of all people talking like that made his magic burn. Suddenly, without warning, Sans took Papyrus’ cock into his mouth and began sucking in earnest.

 

“AHH! SANS! YES!” Papyrus rolled his head back as Sans’ warm, wet mouth enveloped him. He instinctively placed his hands on Sans’ skull, holding on helplessly as he felt Sans bob his head up and down his shaft.

 

Sans closed his sockets and focused on taking Papyrus’ cock as deep as he could. The wet sucking mixed with Papyrus’ moans were sending wave after wave of arousal to Sans’ neglected pussy. With his left hand, Sans reached down between his femurs and slid one finger into his wet slit. The added stimulation forced Sans to moan helplessly around Papyrus’ cock, his conjured throat vibrating around the member.

 

Papyrus’ orange eyes was now glowing brighter with pent up magic. His bones trembled with every suck, every moan, every wet sound coming from Sans. He looked down and his cock throbbed again as he watched Sans finger himself while sucking him off. His control snapped.

 

“AHH! SANS!” Papyrus moaned as he gripped Sans’ skull and bucked uncontrollably into Sans’ warm, wet mouth. He could feel Sans’ wide tongue lapping at the underside of his cock. The smaller skeleton’s conjured throat tightened and clenched around his throbbing member as Sans swallowed the dribbles of precum that continued to leak out. “YOU’R MOUTH... SO GOOD-NNH!”

 

Papyrus watched with interest as Sans moaned against his member, his bony fingers playing with himself between his legs, adding a second finger. The magic in his eye flared as he saw Sans fingers slip into the wet folds of his slit, plunging in as deep as they could, fingering himself to the sounds of Papyrus’ moans and the slick noises of his own sucking knowing he was bringing Papyrus closer and closer to the edge.

 

“SANS… IF YOU KEEP… GOING LIKE THIS-AHH! I’MG GOING TO CUM-NNH!” Papyrus panted heavily, his mind completely fogged over with pleasure.

 

With a *pop* Sans suddenly pulled his head away and his fingers removed themselves from his dripping wet folds. He panted heavily as he took the small moment of reprieve to catch his breath.

 

“Sorry Paps… Looks like I got a little carried away…” Sans spoke between pants, a sheepish grin plastered on his face.

 

“SO I TAKE IT, WE’RE READY?” Papyrus asked weakly, his bones trembling with arousal. He was so close to exploding in Sans mouth. He almost wanted to pout and beg Sans to continue, but he would much rather hold off. Especially if it meant finally going all the way with Sans…

 

Sans nodded and pulled Papyrus over him as he laid back on the bed, his skull flushed with a soft dusting of blue magic. “I’m ready when you are Papyrus.”

 

Papyrus looked down at Sans as the sophomore waited for him to enter. Papyrus paused for a moment to admire how beautiful Sans was. He really was striking, he didn’t think he would get over how cute Sans looked under him. Honestly, he should be nervous right now. Heck he should be downright terrified. But all Papyrus could think about was how he was going to finally be able to be with Sans completely. Their magic connecting as their bodies pressed together. Papyrus could feel his soul glowing once again as he thought about their connection and growing relationship.

 

Sans was taken back by the gentle gaze Papyrus was giving him. The tender look sent a ping of happiness to his soul. This was the first time anyone had looked at him with such an emotion while having sex. It made Sans feel happy. It made him feel wanted. It made him feel… loved.

 

Slowly, Papyrus began to push the tip of his cock into Sans’ wet pussy lips. He let out a low moan as he slid into Sans, inch by inch till he was completely sheathed inside.

 

Sans flinched and let out a pained moan. Papyrus moved in slow, but his cock was still so big. Much bigger than he anticipated.

 

“SANS? DID I HURT YOU?” Papyrus asked, worry spilling through his voice. He reached down and cupped Sans’ cheek, running a check over the smaller skeleton under him.

 

HP 1/1

 

Good. Sans was still safe.

 

“I’m fine, Paps... You’re just a little bigger than my fingers could ever prepare me for...” Sans winked once his body began to relax and stretch to Papyrus’ girth.

 

Papyrus’ face flushed and he looked to the side unsure how to take the compliment.

 

Sans reached up and held Papyrus’ hand that was cupped to his cheek, catching the taller skeleton’s attention.

 

Papyrus looked over and felt his soul swell to the sight of Sans’ content and caring smile.

 

“Take me Papyrus.” Sans whispered as he moved his hips, showing Papyrus he was ready to go.

 

Papyrus flinched and bit back a moan as he felt Sans’ vaginal walls move all around him. Stars he suddenly remember just how hard he was.

 

In no time, Papyrus began a slow even thrust. He watched, his eye a blaze with magic, as Sans moaned and his body rocked on the bed in time with Papyrus’ thrusts. Sans looked incredible. He couldn’t take his eyes away. Sans was opening up to him so much, letting him get so close. Trusting him with his body. Giving himself to him, letting Papyrus mark him as his mate. Sans was his, all his. 

 

Without realizing, Papyrus had summoned his soul. The small orange heart floated just right outside of Papyrus’ rib cage.

 

Unable to hold back, Papyrus began to thrust harder and faster. Both his body and soul swelled with arousal, his cock throbbing each time he felt Sans’ pussy flutter and clench around him. “S-SANS-AHH! YOU FEEL SO GOOD!”

 

“Oh fuck! Papyrus!” Sans shut his sockets as wave after wave of pleasure washed over him. Stars Papyrus felt so good inside him. His cock was hitting the right spots each time he’d thrust in him. Sans felt his magic reacting, growing hotter and hotter almost as if having Papyrus fuck him wasn’t enough. Sans blindly gripped around, searching for something, anything to ground him to reality as his magic continued to burn. Almost as if reading his mind, Papyrus reached out and held onto Sans’ hand, their fingers entwining as the two gripped harder as each of them bucked faster into one another.

 

Sans cried out in pleasure, tears pricking at the corner of his sockets as Papyrus pumped into him faster and harder. He could hear the squeaks of protest coming from the bed, but the sound only edged him on further. He bucked his hips in time with Papyrus’ thrusting, hoping to feel papyrus plunge in deeper. “Ah! Yes Papyrus right there!” Sans cried out as he felt Papyrus pound into the back of his cervix. Sans then wrapped his free arm around Papyrus as well as his legs, forcing Papyrus to keep his cock buried deep inside him.

 

As soon as Papyrus’ body pressed flush against his, Sans felt an explosion of white hot pleasure shoot across his entire being. His vision blacked out and he was sure he was seeing stars. “Papyrus-ahh!” Sans gasped, almost losing all the air in his lungs.

 

“SANS! YES! I’M SO CLOSE!” Papyrus shouted. His bones trembled and it felt as if he could feel both his pleasure and Sans’ pleasure at the same time. His cock throbbed painfully as he felt Sans tighten around him, the slick walls moving and clenching almost as if trying to milk him of his cum.

 

“Papyrus please, cum inside me!” Sans couldn’t think straight, all he knew was he wanted to feel Papyrus explode inside him. He wanted to feel Papyrus’ hot cum fill up his magic to the brim. As Papyrus’ thrusts became more erratic, Sans felt his own orgasm build and burn, ready for its release. “Ah! Paps! I’m cumming! I’m cumming! I’m cumm-ahhh!” Sans let his head roll back and his tongue lull out as he came on Papyrus’ cock inside him, the force of his orgasm squirting onto their pelvic bones.

 

Feeling Sans cum was enough to set him over the edge. Papyrus held onto Sans tight as he thrust into the smaller skeleton throughout his orgasm. Papyrus gasped and moaned against Sans shoulder as he felt his cum begin to spurt into Sans, his magic rushing out with its long waited release. He could feel Sans’ pussy clench with each stream of cum he shot into the other, excess loads of his cum squirting out and joining Sans’ against their pelvis and femurs. Papyrus’ cock continued to twitch inside Sans once it had discharged all its magic.

 

Finally the two stilled before Papyrus collapsed to the bed beside Sans. He continued to hold onto the smaller skeleton, not wanting Sans to leave his arms. They both panted as they allowed each other to catch their breaths.

 

“STARS SANS… THAT FELT INCREDIBLE…” Papyrus panted softly as he closed his sockets and nuzzled Sans’ skull affectionately. He felt Sans nuzzle against his chest in return and it sent warm tingles to his soul. 

 

Sans shivered as he felt the sudden feeling of warm tingles tickle his soul. That was strange. Was that Papyrus? It didn’t exactly feel like his magic trying to push warm, comforting emotions onto him like he usually did. “Paps?” Sans asked as he leaned back to look Papyrus in the face.

 

As soon as he did, Sans body froze and his eye lights vanished.

 

“SANS? IS SOMETHING WRONG-“ Papyrus immediately froze as he looked to where Sans was staring.

 

There in the middle of the two were both Sans and Papyrus’ souls, floating freely outside their chests, melded together as if they were halfway fused.

 

“OH MY GOD SANS! I’M SO SORRY!” Papyrus panicked, his loud cries bringing Sans back from his catatonic state.

 

Sans immediately threw himself back, distancing himself as far as he could from Papyrus, and falling off the bed in the process. “P-papyrus! S-shit! W-what? W-why…?” Sans heaved in shallow, unsatisfying breaths as she scooted as far away from Papyrus as he could.

 

The distance finally became too much for the souls, and with a *ping*, the souls severed and floated back towards their owners.

 

Papyrus flinched as soon as the souls severed, his shaking hands coming up to cradle his soul gently before letting it phase back into the safety of his rib cage. He looked up and frowned as he saw Sans pressed against the far wall, his breathing finally evening out as he stared down at his own soul wordlessly.

 

Papyrus felt guilt ripple through every bone in his body. He had messed up. He had messed up big time.

 

Sans stared at his soul, worry coursing through his body. What the hell happened? How did it happen? Sans stared at his soul in shock as he realized he and Papyrus just had soul sex. And not just regular soul sex, their souls were trying to bond. But that didn’t make any sense. Monsters couldn’t soul bond unless both monsters desired it. Souls only bonded when monsters were irrefutably and irrevocably in love. Soul bonding was when both souls yearned for one another, each soul completing the other.

 

Sans continued to stare in silent contemplation as he thought over the events of the evening and his feelings for Papyrus. Did this… did this mean he was in love with Papyrus?

 

Sans flinched as his soul visibly brightened in his hand, almost as if answering his own question.

 

This couldn’t be… Sure he cared about Papyrus more than any other monster, and sure he would do anything to protect the younger skeleton, and sure he always looked forward to spending time with the other-

 

“Sans…?”

 

Sans looked up at Papyrus’ unnaturally soft, timid voice. His frame completely deflated and he felt a ping of pain wash through his soul as he looked at Papyrus sitting nervously on the bed. He watched as Papyrus struggled to hold back tears while he nervously fidgeted with the bed sheets that were halfway covering his still bare bones. Sans felt himself shifting in his spot, just barely holding himself back from lunging forward and comforting the jock skeleton.

 

None of this made sense. The way his soul yearned for Papyrus was almost like they were longtime lovers. Yet they had only known each other for six months. Was it possible for him to fall that deeply in love with someone in such a short period of time?

 

“Sans… I’m so sorry…” Papyrus spoke as he watched Sans nervously. He half expected Sans to glare at him and teleport away. He felt like the biggest fuck up in the world. He had ruined everything so fast. It was all his fault. If only he could control his emotions, none of this would have happened. It took all of Papyrus’ strength to keep from breaking down right then and there.

 

Sans frowned watching Papyrus apologize. This wasn’t right, it wasn’t Papyrus’ fault. Soul sex and soul bonding didn’t just happen, both monsters had to wish for it. Maybe Sans had stronger hidden feelings for Papyrus than he originally thought, but that was an issue for him to deal with. Papyrus didn’t need to blame himself for Sans inability to recognize his own feelings...

 

Without even realizing, Sans had allowed his soul to phase back into his rib cage and he was already across the room, crawling onto the bed to comfort Papyrus. “Shh, no Papyrus… you don’t need to apologize. I’m the one who’s sorry. I over reacted.” Sans tentatively reached out and was pleased to see Papyrus immediately lunge into his arms, allowing him to cradle and sooth the taller skeleton. He whispered softly to Papyrus, telling him that everything was okay, that he wasn’t upset, all the while stroking his spine and scapula as he held Papyrus close. Sans closed his sockets and willed his soul to reach out to Papyrus, his magic pushing soothing, warm, comforting emotions onto the other. He noted in the back of his mind, that it was much easier to will his magic towards Papyrus now. Either that or Papyrus’ soul was much more willing to take his magic.

 

“I should have been able to control myself… Sans I’m sorry-“

 

“Don’t you apologize, Paps. Nothing permanent came of it. Everything turned out fine.” Sans reassured as he placed gentle skeletal kisses to the top of Papyrus’ skull.

 

It took a while, but Papyrus’ soul finally calmed down and his frame relaxed in Sans’ comforting hold. Once Papyrus’ panic had subsided, the taller skeleton sat up and offered Sans a small, grateful smile. “Thank you Sans…”

 

“No need to thank me. Actually, I should be the one apologizing you. I ruined your first time… I’m sorry, Papyrus…” Sans looked down, guild flooding him as he realized how damaging his overreaction really was. This was supposed to be a special night for Papyrus, and he had royally messed that up. “I over reacted…”

 

“I still had a wonderful time.” Papyrus admitted, a light dusting of orange gracing his cheeks. “Tonight was special not because it was my first time, but because it was my first time with you...”

 

Sans felt is own cheeks begin to glow at Papyrus’ words. Stars, Papyrus was too good for him. He didn’t know what he did to deserve the other skeleton.

 

Papyrus smiled as he pulled Sans down with him and they both got situated in bed. He then reached over and grabbed the forgotten blanket, draping the warm blanket over them as she wrapped his arms around Sans, pulling the smaller skeleton close. “Thank you Sans. For everything” Papyrus whispered before giving Sans a soft, gentle kiss. Minus the soul bonding scare, tonight had been the best night of his life. He could now officially call Sans his boyfriend. He felt like a piece of him that had been missing had finally returned. Having Sans made his soul feel… complete.

 

Sans smiled shyly as he cuddled closer to papyrus. He rested his skull against Papyrus’ sternum and listened to the other skeleton’s soul pulse in his chest. It was comforting to know that soul yearned for him just as much as he yearned for Papyrus. He still needed to reflect on the incident from before, and his feelings for Papyrus, but that could be done later. Now was boding time for him and his new boyfriend. Slowly, Sans sockets closed as he was lulled to sleep by the soft, steady rhythm of Papyrus’ soul beats.

 

______________________________________________________________

 

Papyrus looked around in confusion at the strange, foreign surroundings.

 

Gold.

 

Gold everywhere.

 

What was going on?

 

Papyrus wondered aimlessly down the long golden hallway, his gloved hand caressing the tall pillars as his boots gently tapped against the gold checkered flooring. He looked around and spotted beautiful, ornate stain glass windows that let light cascade into the hall. Although, he couldn’t quite make out the pictures in the windows. For some reason his vision wasn’t completely clear. It was clear enough to see, but tiny details eluded him.

 

Papyrus looked down and suddenly realized he was wearing his Halloween costume. The tall skeleton picked up his scarf and gazed at his battle body outfit in confusion. Was he at a costume party? Better question would be, where was he?

 

Papyrus wanted to look around more, but suddenly his body was moving. It was as if he was on autopilot, unable to control his own body anymore. Papyrus tried to call out, but found his voice failed his as well. All Papyrus could do at this point was helplessly sit back and watch as his body moved without his control.

 

A loud thud and crashing noises caught Papyrus’ attention. It seemed as though the noise had caught his body’s attention as well because in seconds his body was running towards the commotion.

 

The noises got louder the further Papyrus ran. He could hear more cracks, bangs, and what sounded like beams of concentrated magical discharge.

 

Papyrus felt his soul speed up in his chest. He didn’t know why, but suddenly he was very worried.

 

He didn’t like this one bit.

 

After what seemed like forever, Papyrus finally caught up to the source of the noise.

 

Papyrus’ body slowed to a stop and his soul stilled in his chest. 

 

There standing just a few pillars ahead was Sans.

 

He was wearing a puffy blue snow jacket with black basketball shorts and pink slippers. The outfit was odd, but that was the least of his concern. Standing just a few pillars in front of Sans was… Frisk?! She had a sick sadistic smile on her face, her eyes glowing red as she held a sharp knife in her hand, and she was pointing it directly at Sans…

 

No, this wasn’t right. This couldn’t be.

 

Frisk was their friend. She would never hurt them.

 

Papyrus tried to scream, to call out to Sans and Frisk but once again his voice failed him. He was forced to just stand there helplessly.

 

Papyrus felt tears well up in his sockets as he noticed just how tired and disheveled looking Sans was. It looked as if the two had been engaged in a long, arduous battle, and Sans was hanging on by a thread. He could easily see how spent the smaller skeleton was.

 

Suddenly, Sans stopped moving.

 

Why was… Had Sans fallen asleep?!

 

Papyrus watched with trepidation as Frisk slowly moved closer and closer to Sans’ sleeping form, the knife in her hand risen, ready to strike.

 

Papyrus was crying now. He screamed till his throat was raw, but no noise came out. In his head he was thrashing, trying to get his unresponsive body to move, but to his dismay, it still wouldn’t budge.

 

Papyrus felt tears streaming down his body’s face and his soul was trembling. It felt as if it was about to break.

 

With one swift movement, Frisk drove the knife down, taking a strike at Sans.

 

In a blink of an eye, Sans dodged and moved to the side.

 

Oh thank goodness, Sans was still ok-

 

*SLASH*

 

. . .

 

Papyrus watched in silent shock as Frisk attacked again, striking Sans with a devastating hit of 9999999.

 

All Papyrus could do was watch in horror as red marrow slowly seeped out and coated the front of Sans shirt and jacket where Frisk had cut. After a moment of silence, Sans coughed up more marrow and fell to the floor in defeat, his body giving in to his wounds.

 

Papyrus couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He didn’t even try. He was frozen in place. The sight of Sans clutching his wound as he took in pained, ragged breathes burned forever in his skull.

 

“So… Guess that it, huh?”

 

Papyrus felt more tears stream down his face as he listened to Sans.

 

“Just… Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

 

Papyrus watched as Sans struggled to get up. His bones shook and he coughed some more, red marrow splattering to the floor. After a moment, he finally found his footing and stood on shaky legs. He could hear Sans’ breaths coming out in strained wheezes. 

 

“Welp. I’m going to Grillby’s.”

 

And with that, Sans slowly limped away.

 

Finally, as if a miracle happened, Papyrus’ body moved. He could feel his control coming back. He could control his body once more. Immediately, Papyrus ran towards Sans, his arms outstretched ready to pull the other skeleton into a crushing hug. “SANS!” Papyrus cried. He would be ready to heal Sans, he had to work quick!

 

As Papyrus got close and he reached out to touch Sans, his body suddenly became transparent and Sans phased right through him.

 

Papyrus froze and his soul clenched painfully in his chest. He couldn’t touch Sans. Sans couldn’t see nor hear him. It’s as if he wasn’t there. As if he was some sort of ghost.

 

Papyrus felt fresh tears stream down his face as he turned to look at Sans limping as far away from his attacker as he could. Papyrus hiccuped as he held back a sob. He had never felt more useless than he did right this moment. How could this have happened? Why didn’t he stop it? Why wasn’t he there sooner? Why couldn’t he touch Sans? What was going on!?

 

“Papyrus…”

 

Papyrus’ soul stilled.

 

“Do you want anything?” Sans asked, his voice soft and weak.

 

Before Papyrus could react or say anything, Sans’ body gave way and dissolved to dust.

 

“S-sans…?” Papyrus whispered as he looked down at the pile of dust covered by Sans blue jacket.

 

Papyrus’ knees buckled as he mindlessly took steps towards Sans’ remains, his hands outstretched. He couldn’t feel his body any more. He couldn’t feel his soul either. He was sure it had shattered the moment Sans died. He wasn’t a monster anymore. He was a walking corpse, a corpse making its way to its final resting place next to its mate. He was vaguely aware that he was crying and screaming Sans name, but there was no sound.

 

Right as he reached down and was about to grab a handful of dust, the world went black.

 

______________________________________________________________

 

Papyrus shot up in bed, his skull covered in sweat as he heaved in deep, shaky breaths.

 

Where was he? Wait… Sans!

 

Papyrus looked around frantically, but quickly spotted Sans lying next to him, his mouth slightly agape as he breathed in slow, rhythmic breaths. He was fast asleep.

 

A dream?

 

It had all been a dream?

 

Papyrus reached up and clenched at his sternum where he felt his soul pounding away with residual terror.

 

He had dreamt about Sans… dying?

 

No part of that dream made sense. It had all felt so… real. He didn’t understand it. But he was sure he had never been to a golden hall like that before, and he knew Frisk would never hurt them none the less murder them. Yet somehow, that dream felt as if it wasn’t even a dream…

 

It felt like a memory.

 

Papyrus flinched as his soul continued to beat frantically, still unnerved and stressed from the nightmare. Papyrus quickly summoned his soul, hoping that he could try soothing it directly.

 

Right before Papyrus touched his soul, he paused, his sockets going wide.

 

Around his soul was a tiny, hairline thin outline of blue magic. It wasn’t just any blue magic.

 

It was Sans’.

 

Papyrus looked over at Sans with silent sock. Their souls had bonded. Not completely, but a connection was made. Did that mean that he was experiencing Sans’ nightmares through their soul bond? No, that wouldn’t be it. Sans had told him what his nightmares were about. He dreamt of Papyrus dying, not himself. Papyrus frowned as he thought over this new conundrum. So if what he experienced wasn’t Sans’ dream, then what was it…?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There you go! Tale date down! (〃・ω・〃)ノ~☆  
> Up next, Fell date!


	22. The Soul Wants

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Be sure to check out these awesome fanart done by these incredible people. ♥  
> stripeyskelesins - [View Here](http://stripeyskelesins.tumblr.com/post/147470763076/this-is-my-first-art-upload-to-my-nsfw-fontcest)  
> eunoriablithe - [View Here](http://eunoriablithe.tumblr.com/post/147670224964/sooooo-i-read-a-fontcest-fic-called-to-love)  
> evilbeetle - [View Here](http://evilbeetle.tumblr.com/post/148010468521/now-ive-had-my-fair-share-of-fontcest-fic)  
> babypizzawonderland - [View Here](http://babypizzawonderland.tumblr.com/post/149599889407/tonight-you-lucky-people-get-a-progression-of)  
> coffeeyesman - [View Here](https://coffeeyesman.tumblr.com/post/149545985615/so-hyped-from-the-last-chapter-highly-recommend)  
> ember-witch - [View Here](http://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/149701515724/fan-art-for-sinnyskelles-fan-fiction-to-love) & [View Here](http://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/151611976384/another-fanart-piece-for-sinnyskelles-to-love)  
> & [View Here](https://ember-witch.tumblr.com/post/159460764239/fell-vs-doggo-a-scene-from-sinnyskelle-s)  
> bluetrashsins - [View Here](http://bluetrashsins.tumblr.com/post/150780954787/my-knights-resquing-their-damsels-in-distress)  
> konekokittycat - [Here](https://konekokittycat.tumblr.com/post/162439428638/my-favorite-scenes-from-sinnyskelle-s-amazin) and [Here](https://konekokittycat.tumblr.com/post/162450458538/1-holding-hands-2-cuddling-somewhere-my-first)
> 
> Thank you all for being so patient. I had a lot of fun while writing this chapter ♥

The soft pallet of maroon and gold colored leaves littered the landscape of the Hills in New Home, adding the perfect pop of color to the beige buildings and sidewalks. Red kept his hands respectfully in his lap as he stared nervously out the window of the speeding black sports car. The swift and smooth turns of the vehicle sent gusts of wind to the piled up leaves off to the side, sending them flying in a flurry of color as the car sped by. Red took little comfort in the beautiful scenery out his passenger window, his nerves keeping a constant reminder of the ‘date’ he was currently on with Fell.

 

To be honest, it took almost all of Red’s energy and concentration to keep from trembling in his seat. It wasn’t that he was uncomfortable around Fell. No, he had gotten used to his professor’s company a long time ago. It was that he was being taken out on his first ever date, by Fell of all people. No matter how many times Red recounted the events that led up to this situation, he couldn’t for the life of him understand why Fell would want to take him out on a date. Red couldn’t stop mentally listing off all the reasons why this date shouldn’t happen. First, he was a student and Fell was his professor. They could easily be spotted in town. Second, he was a weak one HP monster that was nowhere near the same level of social standing as Fell. And lastly, he was… well, he was just Fell’s pet…

 

Red flinched in his seat, one of his hands rising to grip at the seat belt that strapped across his torso. He made sure to wait for Fell to glance at him then turn his attention back to the rode before stealthily moving his phalanges under the strap to rub at his sternum, a desperate attempt to calm his rapidly fluttering soul. 

 

After Fell took the time to teach Red the ins and outs of being a proper sub pet, Red decided to do a little studying of his own. After all, if this was to be his life from now on, he should know more about ‘the lifestyle’. One thing that Red quickly discovered in both his lessons from Fell and his independent studies was that there was no one way to go about living the BDSM lifestyle. It was open to every couple’s interpretations. All his research showed an emphasis on communication and mutual agreement and understanding. Red couldn’t help but chuckle at that part. It had become abundantly clear to Red that his arrangement with Fell was very much unorthodox and fell outside the normal rules of a healthy BDSM relationship. He wasn’t even sure it could be called a relationship. Fell was adamant on emphasizing that their arrangement was purely sexual. Red didn’t get a say in the matter. But… it’s not like he was complaining.

 

Red sighed silently as he let his skull rest against the window, his crimson eye lights focusing on the outside land markers as they drove by. His phalanges still rubbed absentmindedly at his sternum as he let his mind wonder. He wasn’t stupid. He knew why his soul would skip a beat anytime Fell smiled at him, or even got near him in any capacity. He wasn’t sure when the shift of adoration turned to attraction, when he stopped admiring Fell for being so cool and just plain admired him for him. But regardless, he didn’t want to scare Fell away. Despite their rough start, Fell had been the best thing to ever happen to him. Red couldn’t help but acknowledge how happy he’d been since living with Fell. He’d do anything to keep Fell in his life at this point, and he’d be damned if he was going to sabotage the life they had together so he could entertain the idea that he and Fell could possibly be anything more than Master and Pet.

 

Just thinking about pushing away his desires sent a ping of tight pain through his rib cage. Red growled silently to himself as he willed the disappointment away. He had to remember, he didn’t even deserve the happiness he had now. It would be selfish to ask for more.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Fells voice brought Red out of his self-deprecating thoughts and back to reality. He sat up straight and looked over to Fell who was still focused on driving, but he could tell his professor was watching him carefully out of the corner of his eye. How long had Fell been watching him? Damn his professor was observant.

 

“I’m fine.” Red lied. Sure he promised Fell he would be more open and honest to him, but these feelings were out of the question. There was no way in hell he was ever going to let slip his growing romantic attractions for his professor. He would do whatever it took to stay by Fell’s side, and if that meant burying his true feelings deep down, then so be it.

 

Fell glanced at Red with a scrutinizing gaze before focusing back on the road. He could tell Red was lying to him. How stupid did his pet think he was? But… he knew better than to force Red to talk about whatever was bothering him. As much as he wanted to raise his voice and order his pet to be honest, he knew that whatever the secret was had to be important enough for Red to break his promise to him. He would wait for Red to eventually open up to him. In the meantime, he would be extra vigilant of his student. Red wasn’t going to leave his sight from here on out. He had messed up one too many times and he wasn’t going to risk loosing Red a third time.

 

“Are you nervous for the date?” Fell offered instead, letting Red think he had successfully lied and averted the subject.

 

Red flinched and began fiddling with the sleeves of his sweater. God damn it Fell. If it wasn’t one nervous subject with him, it was another. “Uh… Kind of.” Red answered vaguely.

 

“There’s no need to be nervous. You’ll have the best first date of your life, I guarantee it.” Fell answered with a bit of a cocky tone to his voice.

 

‘We could go to a freaking gas station and eat day old hot dogs for all I care. It’d still be the best first date as long as it was with you…’ Red silently retorted in his head.

 

There was a moment of silence between the two after that, only the soft hums of the car’s engine filled the quiet void.

 

“Finally, we’re here at our first stop.” Fell announced as the car slowed to a stop.

 

Red looked up out the window and his skull cocked to the side curiously. He gazed up at the sign for ‘NH Boutique’. Although the store said it was a boutique, a name for a shop that was normally small, the building itself was massive and contained two stories. Just from the sign and window displays alone he could tell this was an upscale retail store. “Uh Fell? I thought we were going to dinner?” Red questioned as he looked over the intimidating boutique. This was the rich part of town and Red felt incredibly out of place surrounded by all these well off, stuffy monsters.

 

“We will go to dinner once we get you an appropriate outfit.” Fell stated before getting out of the car and coming over to the passenger side to open Red’s door for him.

 

Red felt his magic rush to his skull in embarrassment. Was this Fell’s way of saying he looked to dingy to be seen with him at their dinner? As Red stepped out of the black sports car, he suddenly felt like everyone’s eyes were on him. Red looked around nervously as pedestrians shot him disgusted looks and snooty glares. He felt his shoulders stiffen and he tried to shrink in on himself to make himself seem smaller. Stars he felt like an embarrassment here. Red was suddenly hyper aware of how underdressed he was for this part of town. Why was Fell standing next to him? He might as well be a dirty eyesore ruining Fells image and reputation.

 

Fell noticed the other monsters around them shooting both him and Red dirty looks. He simply shot back a fierce, icy glare of his own, prompting the rude monsters to flinch and turn away. He was used to the upper class giving him condescending looks, but he would not sit idly by while these pompous ass holes judged his Red. Fell then placed his hand against Red’s back and guided the nervous skeleton into the boutique.

 

Once inside, Red’s sockets widened. Exquisite designer clothing lined the expansive store walls. Sparkles danced across the polished stone floor from the glittering chandeliers above. Large, plush couches were strewn about the store allowing customers a place to sit and relax. Red noticed most of the monsters who were lounging around received glasses of champagne brought to them by butlers. Red felt his nerves pick up at the sight of such luxury. He was very much out of place here.

 

“Fell darling!”

 

Both Fell and Red stopped walking when they spotted a tall, beautiful, well-kempt spider monster. Her jet black hair was pinned back, not a follicle out of place. Her soft violet makeup accentuated her many black eyes, making each of them look both fierce and refined. Her long black and purple dress moved oh so flawlessly with her steps, the design leaving the dress open and slit down the middle just barely covering her breasts.

 

Red instinctively took a step back to hide behind Fell. The woman looked beautiful, but she also looked incredibly intimidating. Red felt as if his presence alone would offend the woman.

 

“Glad you could make it! I was so happy to hear you’d be coming by.” The spider monster walked up to Fell, one set of arms open as if she was ready to hug the skeleton monster, but as soon as she got close she suddenly stopped. It looked as if the woman remembered to hold herself back.

 

“Muffet, thank you for letting me set up this consultation” Fell offered the spider monster a cool, charming smile, causing Muffet to flush and fan herself with one of her hands.

 

“Well of curse! There’s no need to thank me! I’ve been dying to get you back in my little web, there’s so much I’d love to dress you up in…” The woman eyed Fell with interest as she gently bit her lip, showing off one of her sharp fangs. 

 

Red’s sockets narrowed at the woman’s obvious flirting. He felt a ping of jealousy hit him, forcing him to clench his hands into tight fists. He wasn’t sure if he could say anything. This woman was obviously an acquaintance of Fell’s and a high standing socialite. And who was he to get in between his master and his friends? Red felt a wave of uselessness wash over him. He didn’t like watching his master and this woman canoodle with one another, but at the same time it wasn’t his place as a pet to say anything.

 

“So, how long do I get to keep you for this ‘special, private consultation’ that you ordered?” Muffet asked, one of her hands trailing up the opening of her dress’ slit, teasing the possibility of a peak as one of her fingers pulled back the cloth ever so slightly, the dress just barely covering her nipple.

 

“The consultation isn’t for me. It’s for my pet, Red.” Fell corrected with a bit of a smirk before stepping to the side, revealing a slightly pouting and nervous Red.

 

“Pet?” Muffet asked, the sock in her voice evident. “When did you get this one?” Muffet’s toned dropped, an ever so subtle hint of bitterness hidden behind it.

 

Fell’s sockets narrowed as he caught on to the tone in Muffet’s voice. “That doesn’t concern you. What I want for you to do is get Red something nice for the evening. I’ll come by to approve the outfit after I go pick up my suit.”

 

Fell placed a hand against Red’s shoulder causing the smaller skeleton to flinch before relaxing against the gentle squeeze. Red looked up at Fell and saw his professor give him a reassuring smile before walking off towards the far end of the store.

 

Awkward silence stretched between the two remaining monsters. The uneasy air between Muffet and Red was almost palpable. Red didn’t know what to do. He simply stood stiff as a board, his mind screaming for Fell to return so he wouldn’t have to be alone with a monster who was exuding an aura of hate and jealousy towards him.

 

“Well… I guess we’ll find something for you to wear, sweetie.” Muffet clapped her hands together as she forced a smile onto her face.

 

Red on the other hand could see the strained twitch in her smile and hear the forced cherry tone in her voice. The forced, fake pleasantries were alarming and disturbing. Every bone in Red’s body screamed for him to ditch Muffet and leave, but he knew that wasn’t the polite thing to do. Without saying a word, Red nodded to Muffet and let the spider woman guide him to a private dressing room upstairs.

 

“Head inside and take your clothes off. I’ll be back with some outfits.” Muffet pulled the curtain for the dressing room back with one hand while gesturing for Red to enter with another. As Red wordlessly walked by, Muffet glared, her eyes scanning over Red’s body with a critical stare. “What are you a size 6 in kids? Pathetic.” Muffet mumbled under her breath, thinking Red did not hear.

 

As soon as Muffet let go of the curtain to let the drape close, Red turned and glared at where the spider woman had been standing. What a bitch! Sure he was small and normally he had to hem up his clothes to accommodate his short stature, but he didn’t shop in the kids section! Red bit back a growl of frustration as he angrily removed his school’s uniform sweater and tie. ‘Do it for Fell,’ Red repeated in his head like a mantra. It was the only thing keeping him from cussing out the rude woman and causing a scene in the fancy, upscale store. 

 

Muffet rummaged through the dress suits and slacks that she had picked out ahead of time, a sigh of annoyance escaping her lips. They were all the wrong size. She had pulled them form the racks thinking Fell would be the one wanting the consultation, not his new pet. Muffet mentally spat, glaring as she shifted through the clothes faster. God damn it! When was it going to be her turn to catch Fell’s eye? She had known him since he was a young college student, always going above and beyond to give him the best service. She never held back when she flirted with him, he had to know of her interests in him.

 

Muffet paused from her search to take a moment to catch her breath. She was working herself up and it would be catastrophic if Fell saw her in such a mess. Muffet snapped one of her fingers, signaling a butler to come with a tray of champagne. The spider woman picked up a glass and began downing the drink as fast as she could. How the hell did that little, dirty, pathetic monster get Fell’s attention over her? Muffet’s mind fumed as she recalled the way Fell looked at Red before he left to pick up his suit. He looked so… different. The way Fell looked at Red was nothing like the way he looked at his previous pets. Why was that? What made Red so special? Muffet finished off her drink and grabbed another glass from the tray with a free hand before waiving the attentive butler off with another.

 

Muffet began sipping her second glass as she thought back to Fell’s previous sexual adventures. For as long as she could remember, Fell didn’t care about his pets, or anyone for that matter. He had dated Blue for a short period of time, but that ended just as expected. All the pets that came after were few and far between, but one thing was for sure, Fell never kept a pet for long. Muffet vaguely wondered how long Red had been under Fell’s service.

 

The thought did little to sooth her bubbling anger as she downed the rest of her second drink. It didn’t matter if Red was a new pet or not, Fell looking at Red with those eyes were enough of a red flag for her. Muffet had waited patiently for her turn to be one of Fell’s sex toys. She knew that when Fell got rid of the duds, the nobodies, she would swoop in and become the last pet Fell ever needed. She would be the perfect sex toy. She could be submissive and obedient, but she could also be sexy and confident. She was sure that with enough time as Fell’s pet, she could work her webs around Fell and make him fall in love with her. Then she would have the best of both worlds. Sex and money. Fell’s soul and his bank account would be hers.

 

But now…

 

Her dreams were quickly crumbling under the realization that she may have waited too long. The way Fell looked at Red, caring and protective, as if he’d jump in front of a bullet for the tiny, pathetic monster… the look alone spoke volumes. She had to do something if she was to ever still have a chance with Fell. But what? Muffet pondered for a second before her eyes lit up with a devious twinkle. She giggled to herself then rushed to a different clothing rack.

 

Red sighed as he slipped out of his black slacks and began unbuttoning his dress shirt. Where the hell was Muffet? She was taking forever. Was this her plan all along? To make Red miss his date by forcing him to stand here naked and helpless in a dressing room.

 

“Here we are, sweetie! Try this on!” Without so much as a warning, Muffet approached the dressing room and threw open the curtain causing Red to panic and hold his dress shirt closed. Red huddled into the corner, his face flushing with crimson magic at the embarrassment of his nudity. He was glad that his dress shirt was just long enough to cover his pelvis, but still, Muffet was seeing more of him than he was comfortable with. Muffet took the moment to shamelessly look over Red’s exposed bones. Her eyes twinkled once more. There were nicks and scars everywhere. This was perfect. “Oh no need to be shy, I’ve seen it all!” Muffet exclaimed, not caring one bit about Red’s privacy as she pulled Red’s white dress shirt off his shoulders and away from his grasps. The spider woman then placed two boxes on the bench before hanging an outfit up on the rack inside the dressing room.

 

Red’s sockets widened as he looked at the garment hanging off the rack. His skull flushed even brighter and a thin sheen of sweat began to gather at his skull, all the while he frantically tried to cover himself with his hands. “Woah w-woah, w-wait a minute! I c-can’t-“

 

“Chop chop now, don’t want to keep Fell waiting!” Muffet cut Red off as she clapped one set of hands while the others gathered up the pieces of Red’s clothes off the floor. She then quickly exited the dressing room, not giving Red another chance to protest. As she walked away, her mouth stretched into a devious smile, her arms still full of Red’s clothes. He had no choice but to change now.

 

Red listened to the soft clicks of Muffets heals as they left the vicinity. He was sure she wouldn’t come back even if he screamed her name.

 

Red sighed in both annoyance and defeat as he turned to look back at the clothing that hung off the rack in front of him.

 

Hanging before him was a long, elegant, silky black dress. Muffet was fucking with him. She had to be. She couldn’t possibly expect him to wear that. He was a boy! Red grumbled in annoyance as he peeked out the dressing room’s curtain. He held the long curtain around his naked bones and looked around the corner as far as the curtain would allow him. There was no sign of Muffet, or even a butler for that matter. He was completely alone. Red let out a heavy sigh as he moved back into the privacy of his dressing room, eyeing the dress with dread. Muffet’s words continued to ring through his skull, making his nerves pick up to panicky levels. Fell was going to come back soon. He couldn’t keep his professor waiting.

 

With deflated shoulders, Red turned to look back at the long silky dress one last time, his magic glowing even brighter on his face as his defiance crumbled.

 

Well, a dress was better than going out naked.

 

With silent movements, Red pulled the dress off the rack and studied the garment quizzically. After a moment of analyzing, he figured out how to slip the dress on. As soon as the dress slid over his bones and draped over his frame, Red let loose a surprised hum. The silky material felt good on his bones, it kind of reminded him of Fell’s bed sheets…

 

As Red smoothed out the dress, he took a moment to stare at his reflection in the dressing room’s mirror. Immediately the flush of embarrassment returned. The black dress hung around his neck with a halter top, leaving his entire back exposed. The high neck line still left a ruffle of cloth exposing the tops of his clavicle. He figured if he had been a monster made of flesh he would have been able to fill out the chest a bit more. Red then turned to the side to examine the dress further, noticing a long slit up the right side that stopped just before exposing his pelvis. The sides of the dress were rippled which pulled the cloth in at the waist, giving Red an hour glass figure. Red continued to turn from side to side, eyeing the dress with dread. Now that he was wearing the dress, Red suddenly realized the outfit did little to hide his many nicks and scars. Red nervously pulled at the dress, trying to make the cloth stretch and cover him up more, but the silky material didn’t lend itself to stretching. Red felt sweat drip off his skull as he looked at himself critically in the mirror. He was incredibly self-conscious about his scars, and this dress left all his imperfections open for the world to see.

 

Red grumbled in frustration, rubbing the palms of his hands against his sockets as he tried to keep himself from spiraling into a panic attack. He didn’t want to parade around snooty rich monsters, showing off all the scars he received from beatings courtesy of his foster families. Red forced in deep, slow, shaky breaths as he continued the mantra from earlier. “Do it for Fell, do it for Fell, just do it for him…” His voice was soft and weak, but over time his breathing evened out. Red took a few more moments to gather himself before standing tall and shaking off the rest of his anxiety. Fell would protect him. If he was too nervous, he was sure his professor would let them call off the date early and leave. But, he at least had to try first. Fell was doing so much for him and had gone out of his way to plan this date. The least he could do was try.

 

After Red’s internal pep talk, the small skeleton turned to the forgotten boxes on the bench. He opened the boxes to reveal a pair of simple black heals and a matching diamond necklace and bracelet set. Good grief this was extravagant and unnecessary. Red frowned as he latched on the accessories to his neck and wrist. He felt like a piece of garbage, an expensive piece of garbage. You could dress up something ugly and useless with all the jewels and pearls in the world, but it didn’t change that it was still ugly and useless. Red turned away from the mirror, unable to look at himself any longer as he slipped into the black heals. “You got to at least try…” Red repeated to himself when he felt his depressive thoughts return.

 

It took Red a few moments of wobbling and shaky steps, but eventually Red figured out how to walk in the cursed heals. It was like the shoes forced him to walk on his tip toes at all times. Why the hell would anyone wear these willingly! He mentally spat. He was glad that at least the heals weren’t too tall. Although… Red would never admit it out loud, but he was kind of happy to be tall for once. At least taller than he normally was.

 

Once Red concluded that his outfit was complete, he stepped out of the dressing room. Still no one was around. Red sighed in annoyance as he carefully made his way to the front of the store, cautious of his new footwear. He’d just go find Fell himself. Fuck Muffet anyway.

 

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Fell gave a small hum of approval as the tailors completed the last finishing touches to his custom made suit. The black dress suit draped over a form fitting red silk dress shirt where the top open buttons exposed the tips of his sternum. Fell nodded and waved the tailor off once the last pin was removed. It looked sharp and sophisticated, but still dark enough to cater to his personal preferences.

 

Fell looked over himself and his outfit one last time. He really didn’t care for the upscale lifestyle one bit. Sure he had money, but he rarely ever flaunted it. He preferred to stay at home with books rather than go out to high end restaurants surrounded by entitled ass holes. But… this was Red’s first ever date. As much as Fell hated the affluent community, he wanted to show Red a good time. His pet deserved to experience the finer things in life at least once. Fell refused to admit it out loud, but he was honestly hoping to impress his student.

 

As soon as Fell turned and stepped off the tailor’s podium Muffet emerged from around the corner, her smile stretched with a little too much excitement.

 

“Fell darling! There you are! Your pet-oh dear! He was such a hassle!” Muffed exclaimed as she held a hand to her forehead dramatically.

 

Fell raised a brow bone at this, eyeing Muffet with a skeptical stare. “Was he now?” Fell knew his pet. Red hated confrontation with a passion. He knew his student would go along with anything even if it was uncomfortable just to avoid making a scene. Hearing that Red was a hassle was strange indeed.

 

“Oh yes! He was so picky, and such a diva! He refused every suit I gave him, asking for the most expensive dress and accessories in the store instead.” Muffet sighed and crossed one pair of arms. “Fell I need to be honest with you, I get the feeling that your precious new pet is a bit of a gold digger.”

 

Fell’s sockets narrowed at Muffet’s accusation. None of this sounded like Red at all. Red wasn’t a gold digger. Not once had his pet ever asked for anything, or even willingly accepted the gifts that were forced upon him. Fell recalled having to practically order Red to accept a new laptop after he refused to let Red go back to his dorm to pick up his old one. Like hell he was going to let Red anywhere near Doggo or that dorm ever again. He had promptly bought Red new school supplies and uniforms. And even then he caught Red looking around for part time jobs to try and pay him back. Fell had shut that down real quick. All of his past experiences confirmed that Red did not care for his money one bit. 

 

It was clear to Fell that Muffet was lying. Although, he couldn’t understand why. Muffet had always been a good friend of his. Her sudden change in behavior was both disturbing and alarming. 

 

“Fell?”

 

Both Fell and Muffet turned towards the staircase and Fell’s sockets widened. Fell watched as Red descended the stairs carefully, his face flushed bright crimson with embarrassment. He lifted the front of his dress ever so slightly so his heals wouldn’t catch on the dress, his hand clutching the railing like a lifeline as he made slow, careful steps down the stairs. Once he was on the bottom floor, Red sighed in relief and looked up at Fell. His hands immediately began to fidget with the silk dress, his phalanges bunching up the cloth around his middle. Fell couldn’t take his eyes off his pet. Red was… stunning. He had no idea what Muffet’s plan was by putting Red in a dress, but now that he was looking at the smaller skeleton, he couldn’t be happier with the decision.

 

“See what I mean?” Muffet whispered to Fell as she watched her devious plan unfold. “And I mean come on, look at all those sex scars. Who flaunts that stuff? No class.”

 

Fell simply smirked at Muffet’s antics, deciding to turn the tables of her little game back onto her. “Muffet, you’ve outdone yourself this time. Red is positively radiant.”

 

Muffet flinched, taken back by Fell’s response. “W-what?”

 

Red on the other hand felt his soul flutter in his chest at the compliment. The small skeleton looked down, unable to hold Fell’s gaze any longer. He was so worried Fell would scoff, or laugh at him, or hell even glare in disgust! Not only was he in a dress, but all his nicks and scars were visible in plain sight. The last thing he expected was for Fell to compliment him while staring at him with those eyes…

 

Fell didn’t respond to Muffet’s stuttering. Instead he strode towards Red and tilted the smaller skeleton’s skull up till their crimson eye lights met. “You are beautiful.” Fell stated with such certainty and devotion.

 

Red didn’t know how he was still standing. His soul glowed warmly in his chest and his legs felt like they would give way under his professor’s intense gaze. Red didn’t know if he should argue against Fell, or thank him for the compliment. Either way, he was sure his voice wouldn’t work.

 

Fell simply smiled at Red’s shocked silence before leaning in and capturing the smaller skeleton’s mouth in a short yet passionate kiss. He felt Red’s hands cling to the front of his suit, the familiar tangy taste of Red’s magic meeting his as their tongues melded together in a headed display of affection. Fell had to force himself to stop the kiss, his magic tingling at the sound of Red’s needy whine as soon as he parted their teeth. If he didn’t have as much self control as he did, he would have ended up taking Red right then and there in the middle of the store.

 

Muffet glared and grit her teeth together in an attempt to restrain herself. It felt almost as if Fell was doing this on purpose just to piss her off. How the hell did her plan not work? Red was covered in disgusting sex scars. He looked like a cheap, used hooker for crying out loud! How was Fell not disgusted?

 

“Just charge this to my tab. Thanks again Muffet, I can always count on you.” Fell’s voice dropped at the last part, the statement coming off more as a warning than an endearing comment.

 

Muffet caught the dangerous tone in Fell’s voice and a shiver of fear ran up her spine. It was clear now that she had made a grave mistake.

 

Fell turned and guided Red towards the entrance of the store where a butler handed Fell both his and Red’s old clothes in a shopping bag. They then left the upscale boutique, leaving a fuming and speechless Muffet behind.

 

Red didn’t know what to do or say, his mind was still foggy from the compliment and kiss he received. The smaller skeleton simply stayed quiet as Fell opened the passenger door for him. As soon as Red took his seat and his door was shut, Red took the brief moment of solitude to take a deep calming breath. His soul was still fluttering and now that he knew they were headed towards their dinner reservations, the nerves of their impending date returned tenfold.

 

The remaining drive to the restaurant was quiet. Red did his best to avoid catching Fell’s glances during the trip. He still felt incredibly self-conscious, but even more embarrassing would be to have Fell compliment him again. He wasn’t sure his nervous soul could take any more endearing words, or affection.

 

After a while, the car finally stopped at their destination. Red looked out his window and felt his mouth drop at the beautiful establishment that would be his first ever date. The restaurant was large and had a long circular red carpet that wrapped around a tall golden water fountain out front. The building was wrapped in floor to ceiling panel windows that allowed the patrons a 360 panoramic view of the New Home Foothills Mountains. Both Red and Fell stepped out of the car before a valet took the keys. Red watched the black sports car speed off and his soul sped up. This was it. He was going on a date with Fell. No turning back now.

 

Before Red could spiral into a puddle of nerves, Fell stepped up to his side and offered his arm. Red was taken back by the gesture. Fell was acting like a perfect gentleman. It was… odd. Of course Fell had his own charm, but it usually consisted of steely glares, demanding orders, and delicious, painful, sexual pleasure. Red decided not to comment on the odd behavior and instead took the arm that was offered to him with a nervous smile.

 

Fell smiled at his pet’s cooperation and led the smaller skeleton into the restaurant. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Red looked around in awe at the fancy restaurant, his soft round sockets widened as he took in the glittering scenery before him.

 

It only took one simple look from Fell for a waiter to nod an escort them to a private booth towards the back of the restaurant.

 

“We’ve been expecting you. Your table Mr. Fell.” The waiter bowed and pulled out the seat for Red. Red couldn’t find his voice to thank the man, so he simply smiled shly before staring down at the white table cloth that covered their table. The waiter then placed menus in front of both Fell and Red. “Should I start you off with something to drink?”

 

“Whatever the houses best wine is, we’ll take.” Fell answered as he kept his eyes on his nervous pet.

 

“Splendid, sir. I’ll be right back with your drinks.” With that, the waiter left leaving Fell and Red to their privacy.

 

“So,” Fell spoke up after a moment of silence. “What do you think?”

 

Red gripped at his silk dress under the table, his phalanges shaking ever so slightly. “I see now why we needed the change of clothes. This place is incredible.” Red took the opportunity to look around the restaurant. Chandeliers lined the ceilings, lighting the area in a soft, intimate glow. The tables were set in a circle so each spot could be placed next to a window as to see the scenery of the mountains. In the middle of the restaurant was a large water feature with water pouring down a carved marble statue of the New Home crest. The restaurant screamed class and sophistication. Red was positive his dingy college uniform would have stood out like a sore thumb.

 

“The clothes are just part of the experience. If you really didn’t like the outfit Muffet picked out for you I would have still brought you here.” Fell stated as he rested his sharp cheek against the back of his hand while observing his pet closely.

 

Red flinched at Fells words and looked over at the taller skeleton with wide sockets. He had simply assumed Fell got him the clothes as to not be embarrassed by him. He was both shocked and touched to hear Fell would have still taken him out if he had put up a fuss about the dress. And speaking of…

 

“Heh, sorry about the clothes by the way… I didn’t want to cause a scene about Muffet’s choice in formal wear… I hope you don’t think I’m gross. A dude sitting here in a dress and all…” Red nervously forced out as he rubbed his bare arm with his hand, trying to hide his scars the best he could.

 

“You aren’t gross, you’re beautiful.”

 

Red felt his face heat up at the compliment and he shrunk in on himself more. He couldn’t tell if Fell was just being nice or if he really meant it. Damn it, didn’t Fell know that he was torturing him? All the kind words and gentle behavior was making it harder to push down his already growing attraction. Couldn’t Fell just go back to being a pushy master like normal? 

 

“Thank you…” Red whispered, his voice cracking just a little bit. He would mind his manors towards the compliment, even if he didn’t believe he himself was beautiful. 

 

“Your wine sir.” The waiter interrupted as he approached with a bottle of wine and a bucket of ice.

 

Red silently thanked the waiter for his sudden arrival. He was sure he was going to melt into a puddle of blushing goo if the conversation with Fell continued.

 

The cork was popped and the red wine was poured for both skeletons. Red watched his glass fill and wondered if he should drink a lot tonight. The alcohol would definitely help with his nerves, but what if he did something embarrassing if he got too drunk? Red decided it was best to at least drink enough to calm down, then he’d decide if he’d need more later. Without a second thought, Red grabbed his glass and downed several large gulps, eager to drown his anxieties.

 

“Have you decided what you would like to order?” The waiter spoke up once he finished poring the drinks and set the bottle of wine in the bucket of ice.

 

Red flinched and fumbled with his menu, suddenly realizing he hadn’t begun looking at all. As soon as Red looked down at the laminated list, his eye lights shrunk to pinpricks. Everything on the menu was entirely too expensive! How could a restaurant justify charging seventy-five bucks for a salad? Red quickly scanned the contents, looking for something that was cheap. He didn’t want to be a burden on Fell, especially on his first ever date.

 

Fell noticed the look of shock that washed over Red as soon as he glanced at the menu. He could already tell his pet was panicking, not used to being in such an expensive restaurant. Fell frowned realizing the situation was probably causing Red more stress than needed. “We’ll both take the steak.” Fell stepped in. He had hoped the date would have also acted as an opportunity for Red to progress with his confidence, but he realized this was probably too big of a step, especially since Red was already feeling nervous and out of place in an unfamiliar environment. His pet’s comfort and enjoyment was his first priority. They could work on his confidence issues later.

 

A wave of relief washed over Red as soon as Fell spoke up. On one hand he felt terrible for being such a costly burden, but on the other hand he was grateful for Fell’s keen perceptive skills. The small gesture made him feel a little better. It only proved to support his initial assumption that Fell would let them leave if things got too awkward or stressful.

 

“Very good, sir.” The waiter smiled and bowed slightly before leaving to give the order to the kitchen.

 

“Thank you…” Red spoke up to Fell’s surprise. “For all of this. It’s really nice.”

 

“No need to thank me. It is a date after all.” Fell smirked and noticed the warm flush of crimson magic that spread across Red’s skull. “I suppose it’s safe to say this is your first time dealing with high society?” Fell asked, deciding not to tease his already flustered pet too much.

 

“Yeah you could say that.” Red forced a nervous chuckle as he thought about his past. Being a forgotten foster child, Red would have never dreamed of going to a place like this.

 

“Makes sense. You are in college after all.” Fell could only assume all of Red’s funds went to his schooling. It explained his frugal behavior. They didn’t call it the broke college years for nothing.

 

“What was it like for you when you went to school?” Red perked up, curious to learn more about Fell. There was still so much he didn’t know about his professor and well, what better time to ask than a date?

 

Fell huffed in amusement at the question before thinking for a bit. He didn’t like the idea of opening up to Red, it was dangerous. Red was just a pet after all. But… this was Red’s first ever date. If he was going to do things right, he would have to lower his guard, at least just for a little bit. “My family wanted me to experience all the nuances of college life, but I never really cared for it. You could say I had a bit of a rebellious phase.” Fell mused as he spun his glass of wine before sipping it.

 

Red couldn’t hold back the small chuckle that escaped his grin. “A phase? That would have to mean you had grown out of it.” Red teased. Judging from all the black edgy clothes, spiked accessories, and dark leather pants, it seemed as though Fell never grew out of his rebellious phase.

 

Fell flinched and eyed Red with an amused grin. “Touché you sassy little shit.”

 

Red tried to cover his toothy grin as he chuckled at his and Fell’s banter. “I bet you were the kind of student to sit in the back, too cool for school.” Red grinned, imagining a younger version of Fell, but still just as edgy and snarky.

 

“I’ll have you know I was a model student… even if I always sat in the back.” Fell admitted, mumbling the last part as a faint hue of crimson graced his own sharp features.

 

Red tried to hold back his giggles of amusement. It was too hilarious to imagine a grumpy, loner Fell who was still a good little student.

 

In fact… Red wondered in the back of his mind if he had known Fell when he was younger, would they have been friends?

 

Fell smiled as he watched his pet laugh mirthfully, not even trying to hide his playfulness around him. It made Fell happy to see that even though his pet still had confidence issues, he was confident enough to be himself around him. The thought made Fell feel… special.

 

“What’s so funny? If I’m not mistaken I’m sitting across an edgy nerd himself.” Fell grinned. It really was strange to see how different yet similar the two were.

 

With a start, Red froze from his laughter before looking off to the side sheepishly while rubbing the back of his skull. “Heh got me there, teach.” Damn, he forgot how sharp Fell was. Still, it was fun to be able to tease each other so freely.

 

The two continued to chat comfortably as they sipped their wine.

 

Red learned that Fell’s real only friend was and still is professor Blue. It made Red feel a little better about the incident that happened a while ago. Although, he didn’t ask if Fell and Blue were ever a couple. Honestly, it didn’t matter to him. If they had been, it was in the past. Red could tell Fell was a tough monster to get to know, and he wanted his professor to be happy. That meant keeping what little friends he had.

 

As the conversation continued Red got to learn more and more about Fell. His favorite books. His love for speed, which explained the fast sports car. His favorite foods which mostly consisted of Italian pastas, mainly lasagna and spaghetti. His opinion on current TV shows and movies. His stance on monster-human relations. Red smiled as he and Fell spoke, happy to feel just a little bit closer to his professor.

 

“For an edgy nerd, you seem pretty normal.” Red teased, earning a playful smirk from the taller skeleton across from him. Well, as normal as a monster with a sex closet could be.

 

“Oh? You seem surprised. Why is that? Did my ‘edginess’ scare you initially?” Fell chuckled as he crossed his arms over his chest, eyeing his pet knowingly.

 

“Heh, in all honesty… not really. It’s okay if you never grew out of your edgy phase. Just means you know who you are and you aren’t afraid to show off what you like. It’s bold, honest, and unapologetic. It’s what I like that about you.”

 

Red instantly froze up as soon as the words left his mouth. He could feel his magic burning with embarrassment.

 

Oh shit. Had he gone too far? Had he let something too intimate slip?

 

Red looked up to gauge Fell’s reaction. To anyone else it would look as though Fell was staring expressionless, but Red had observed his professor close enough to notice the small, almost unnoticeable indicators of a shocked expression. His brow ridges were raised just a tad too high, his eye lights too bright to be considered bored, or unfocused. Unfortunately, Red couldn’t tell if Fell was pleasantly shocked, or shocked in a bad way.

 

“Your foods sirs.” The waiter broke in, breaking the silent stare down between the two as he set the plates of food in front of them.

 

Red immediately looked down to the ground, doing anything to avoid Fell’s gaze now that the silent hold was broken.

 

Fell made no motion to look away, his whole frame still frozen, his eyes still locked on his pet. Red’s words continued to ring through his mind causing a foreign feeling to blossom in his soul.

 

“Thank you.” Fell finally spoke up in order to dismiss the attentive waiter.

 

As soon as the waiter was gone, Fell began to dig into his meal. After a few bites, Fell noticed Red was eating incredibly slowly. He paused from his own food long enough to watch his pet eat his meal with the daintiest of bites.

 

Red continued to cut small pieces of his steak and vegies, cautious of getting any stains on his face or his dress. The atmosphere, the people, the date, his clothes, everything was all foreign to him. Red was beyond nervous, completely out of his element, but he continued to push through as he repeated his mantra in his head. ‘Do it for Fell.’ 

 

Fell decided not to bring attention to Red’s nervous behavior and instead chose to continue with his own meal, but slower. He didn’t want Red feeling rushed.

 

“So tell me, how are your studies going?” Fell spoke up after a moment of silence, desperate to break the awkward air around them and get his pet talking comfortably again.

 

“They’re going well. Slower, but the science program is picking up speed. Some kids are starting to come back to the labs, so we might not get to hog the resources for very much longer.” Red smiled as he spoke, grateful that the conversation picked up again and was steered in a casual direction.

 

Fell lifted his glass of wine and paused at Red’s words. That’s right, the fire. Fell had tried hard to push all thoughts about that incident out of his mind. All the events that led up to that moment, all the mistakes he made that almost costs his pet’s life.

 

How he almost lost Red for good…

 

As Red continued to talk about school and his science project, Fell took the moment to look his pet over as he reflected on his own behaviors towards Red. Fells eyes looked over the nicks and scars that littered the smaller skeleton’s bones, marring the once pristine body with memories of abuse. He had scene those scars before, intimately close. While having sex, it seemed Red was always too distracted to care about his scars, but during any other time… Fell watched as even though Red was deep in his explanation of his and his friend’s experiment, he still subconsciously moved his hands to hide his scars.

 

Just like that.

 

Fell couldn’t help but wonder if all the scars were Doggo’s doing. There were so many. It was gut wrenching to think that Red had suffered that much before someone finally stepped in and rescued him.

 

Thinking back on Red’s scars, Fell remembered the day he first laid eyes on Red. Red was sporting a large bruise, and his uniform was messy and disheveled. Fell would soon learn that Red enjoys having his uniform pristine, but at the time Fell just thought Red had recently gotten out of a rough sex session.

 

How stupid he had been...

 

Fell’s phalanges clenched as he continued to recount his behavior towards Red. The first time he touched Red, the first time he felt Red’s body write under him, the first time they had sex…

 

No.

 

The first time he assaulted Red.

 

Fell’s sockets narrowed as his mind was consumed with images of Red gagged and tied up under him, pinned against his desk. Knowing his pet now, he realized that Red had panicked and hyperventilated in fear, not in an attempt at autoerotic asphyxiation. It wasn’t a game, it wasn’t fun for Red.

 

Red wasn’t a practiced sub. He was a student.

 

A scared student.

 

A scared student who had just been assaulted by his roommate and then raped by his teacher.

 

Fell’s thoughts began to spiral. How could he have done such a thing? Getting to know Red now, seeing him as more than just a sex pet, but seeing him as his own monster, someone he connects with, laughs with, cares for…

 

“Fell?”

 

Fell flinched as Red’s soft voice brought him out of his thoughts and back to reality. “Yes?” He spoke a little too fast to seem normal. Damn it, why did anything that involve Red always make him lose his composure?

 

Red frowned at Fell’s response as he continued to stare at his professor, concern flooding his features. Somewhere along their conversation Fell had zoned out. He was quiet and it looked as though whatever he was thinking was causing him great distress. Red noticed the way his professor’s sockets narrowed, and the way his hand shook from being clenched too tight. He could demand Fell tell him what was on his mind, use the rule they made, the one that they promised to be more open and honest with each other…

 

Instead, Red reached out and tentatively placed his hand over Fell’s clenched fist. He kept his eyes locked with Fell’s as he rubbed his thumb against his professor’s hand, soft and soothingly.

 

Fell felt an unbearable swell of guilt build in his soul. Red wasn’t like normal monsters. He was too good for what the world gave him in return. Even after all they had been through, Red still stayed by his side. Loyal, faithful, ever attentive. Fell had never kept a pet this long, nor had he ever felt such a strong attraction to one. Never before had he felt such a protective fury burn in his soul over that of a simple pet.

 

Yet… here Red was. Still in his life.

 

And Fell wanted it to stay that way.

 

“Fell, are you okay?” Red asked once more, his worry beginning to grow the longer his professor stayed silent.

 

“I’m fine, Red.” Fell finally spoke as he lifted his free hand to Red’s round face, his phalanges gently caressing his pet’s now burning cheek.

 

Red didn’t dare move. There was something about Fell... Was it the uncharacteristic softness to his voice? Or the gentle touch that had his soul glowing behind the black silk dress? Red couldn’t think straight long enough to decipher what was going through Fell’s head. All he could do was sit still, trapped in his master’s gaze.

 

“I have something for you.” Fell continued as he finally let go of Red’s face. He then reached into his jacket and pulled out a long, thin, black box that was held in his inside suit pocket.

 

Red blinked in confusion as Fell placed the black box in front of him. If Red didn’t know any better, he would have guessed that this was some sort of marriage proposal. Red internally laughed at himself and quickly shook the silly thought from his head before reaching out to open the box.

 

Fell stayed quiet, his stoic features softening to a small, genuine smile as soon as he heard Red’s quiet gasp.

 

Red’s sockets were wide, his eye lights honed in on the elegant, blood red, spiked leather collar inside the box. Red looked over the accessory, his phalanges gently tracing along the material. The leather was soft, yet sturdy. The spikes were smaller and not as sharp as the ones on his old collar, but they shone brilliantly as if they were freshly polished. Red tentatively lifted the collar and inspected the inside. The collar’s leather was treated, making the material soft to the touch. Red always knew his previous collar had been meant for an actual pet, but that never bothered him. It was the thought that mattered.

 

But this… 

 

This collar was hand made. Crafted with the intent that it would be used by him. Just for him.

 

The soft jingles of a metal tag caught Red’s attention and he reached out to turn the tag towards him, reading the elegantly laser engraved writing.

 

‘Property of Fell’ 

 

Red felt his soul swell with happiness.

 

He had felt bare and naked without his collar. When Doggo destroyed his last one, he felt like Doggo had ripped a hole between his and Fell’s connection. A part of him was missing, Doggo had taken that piece from him.

 

But now his collar was back. His bond with Fell felt just as tangible as the collar itself.

 

“Fell… I…” Red looked up at Fell, he could feel his emotions getting out of hand and he had to concentrate to keep from crying right then and there, tears already brimming at the corners of his sockets.

 

He couldn’t help it, he was just so damn happy.

 

“Red… I understand now that our arrangement, what we do, it’s all new to you. You aren’t an experienced sub like I thought you were. And I know you’ve already agreed to be my pet…” Fell looked to the side as if he was struggling to find the right words to use.

 

Red blinked in confusion, shocked to see Fell at a loss of words. It was completely out of character.

 

“You’ve already done so much. Don’t think I haven’t noticed you studying up on the lifestyle in your free time.”

 

Red felt his face warm at the comment. So Fell knew this whole time? So much for being sneaky.

 

“You’re a great pet Red… you’re a better pet than I deserve.” Fell smiled to no one in particular, almost as if he was recalling something in his head. 

 

Red felt his soul speed up. He didn’t know where Fell was going with this. Red wanted to speak up, he wanted to tell Fell that he was wrong. That it was the other way around. That Fell was a far better master than he deserved. That Fell had literally saved him from his roommate, from his old life, from himself…

 

“But still,” Fell cleared his throat and looked up to meet his pet’s gaze. “Red will you allow me to be selfish one more time?”

 

Red felt his magic burn on his cheeks as soon as Fell looked up and their eyes met.

 

“I want you to stay with me. I want you to continue to be my pet. At least for as long as you’re at this school. I don’t want this to end once you leave my class and the next semester starts. I don’t want you to feel as if you have to go once I’m no longer your professor.”

 

Fell continued to hold Red’s stare, his eyes keeping the smaller skeleton frozen in place. Red couldn’t quite tell, but there was something in Fells eyes, an emotion he had never seen from his professor before. Was it longing? Insecurity? Red didn’t understand, all he could be sure of was his soul was beating away rapidly in his rib cage. Red had refused to think about the ‘what ifs’ in his and Fell’s relationship. He didn’t want to think about a future without Fell. Sure he knew their arrangement was temporary, and that eventually Fell would move on to another pet. He was so worried about enjoying his time with Fell that he hadn’t even thought that Fell might want to keep him around. 

 

Red opened his mouth, but his voice failed him. He could hardly function. It wasn’t a marriage proposal, but it might as well have been. To Red, Fell asking him to stick around was the most intimate thing his master could have done.

 

Red finally broke the stare between him and Fell to look back down at the new collar.

 

He couldn’t speak, but he knew what he could do. Something that would speak louder than words.

 

Red removed his diamond necklace. Slowly, he lifted the red spiked collar to his neck. He reached behind his vertebra and clipped the accessory on making sure it was a perfect fit between tight and comfortable. After a few firm tugs, Red confirmed the collar was securely latched around his neck. Next, he fixated the collar so the tag dangled just above his clavicle, high enough for all to see. This time he would proudly show off his collar and tag. He didn’t care if anyone saw. He wanted the world to know he was Fell’s.

 

Red then looked back up to a shocked Fell and gave the taller skeleton the brightest, most sincere smile he could muster.

 

“Thank you, Master.”

 

Almost like a switch was flipped, Fell’s smile turned from sincere to predatory.

 

Red had agreed to be his pet, for at least as long as he stayed at MSU. Fell didn’t have to worry about Red overthinking their arrangement, or worrying he was overstaying his welcome. His intent for Red was clear. He wanted to keep Red around, and Red was happy to oblige.

 

___________________________________________________________

 

The door to Fell’s condo burst open and in stumbled a mess of limbs accompanied by soft moans and needy whimpers. Fell held on tight to Red, forcing the smaller skeleton to wrap their arms and legs around him as he crushed their teeth together in a messy, heated kiss. Fell haphazardly threw his keys onto the kitchen counter and kicked the front door to the condo closed before pinning Red against the nearest wall and grinding his clothed member against him, earning the most delicious mewl of pleasure from the helpless, trembling bundle of bones beneath him.

 

The ride back to the condo had been nothing short of torturous for both skeletons. Fell, unable to wait till they got home, slowly eased his hand up Red’s dress in the car. His long phalanges pushed the silky black dress to the side, easy access thanks to the hip high slit. He worked his skilled fingers down Red’s ilium till they grazed the pubic symphysis.

 

“F-fell wait-ah!” Red flushed, his magic quickly burning to life.

 

Fell watched from the corner of his eye as Red trembled with each touch, his pet trapped in the car with no place to run. He simply had to accept his fate and let himself be touched. Fell’s sharp grin widened as Red spread his legs for his master, his breaths coming out in ragged pants. Red tried to hold back his moans, his hands gripping as hard as they could at the seat belt strap across his chest. Fell wasted no time in working his pet up. He began to rub the pubic arch relentlessly, basking in the flood of moans and obscenities that came out of Red’s mouth.

 

“Shit! Ah! It’s too much…” Red’s sockets shut tight as all the heat from his magic began racing down his body towards his lap.

 

“That’s it, such a good boy.” Fell praised as he felt Red’s magic begin to hum and coalesce in his pelvis. Fell was careful to watch the road as he continued to rub his pet, reducing Red to a moaning, writhing mess. After a few more harsh rubs, Fell felt the familiar warmth of his pet’s magic manifest around his fingers. He could feel the wetness drip onto his digits, indicating his pet was already beyond aroused at this point. “Such a naughty boy. You get off on getting fingered in the car? Anyone driving by can see you. Do you want to give others a show?” Fell teased as he rubbed his fingers up and down the puffy lips of Red’s ecto pussy, his tips just barely pushing at the entrance.

 

“No, Master…” Red was able to moan out.

 

Fell was unprepared for his pet’s surge in confidence, almost snapping the wheel when he felt a hand rub the outline of his strained member through the confines of his pants. He shot a glance at his pet, his own magic reacting in turn as Red kept eye contact with him while he slowly began to stroke Fell through his pants, his fingers rubbing the lining of his length as it tented painfully.

 

“I only want to put on a show for you.” Red smiled shyly as he bucked into the hand that continued to tease him, forcing Fell’s fingers to finally slip inside. “Nnh! Yes… more…”

 

Fell’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he began fingering Red mercilessly. He couldn’t tell what was louder, the car’s engine revving as they sped home at record breaking time, or Red’s moans that accompanied the wet squelches coming from his dripping pussy. Regardless, Fell knew his pet was in for it when they got home. He was not going to go easy on him.

 

“F-fuck, Master!” Red moaned into the kiss as he bucked back against the rough rutting. His bare back scraped painfully against the wall as Fell used his body, grinding against him with such ferocity it had his whole frame moving up and down. Red could tell the front of Fell’s pants were soaked, his magic dripping shamelessly into the cloth and on the hardwood floor. None of it mattered though. All that mattered was tasting Fell’s magic on his tongue as his professor dominated his mouth. He mewled helplessly as Fell’s tongue explored his mouth, the appendage melding with his own smaller yet broader tongue. 

 

Without warning, Fell parted the kiss. Red watched with hazed eye lights as Fell panted lightly, his own magic flushed on his face. Was that from all their foreplay, or the alcohol? Red couldn’t tell and he didn’t have time to question it as Fell grabbed his arm roughly and began dragging Red to his bedroom.

 

Red stumbled to keep up with Fell’s pace, almost tripping a few times but kept upright thanks to Fell’s iron clad grip on his arm. Deciding enough was enough with his restrictive footwear, Red kicked off his heals before he was dragged into the hallway that led to Fell’s room.

 

Fell’s bedroom door was kicked open with as much care as the front door. Red would have laughed at the situation had he not been so god damn wet. Right now all he cared about was Fell and the tantalizing anticipation of the pleasures to come. The furniture be damned.

 

Red let out a yelp of surprise as he was thrown onto the bed. The small skeleton’s face quickly flushed brighter as he realized Fell had continued walking towards the Closet of Pain.

 

This was it. Excitement thrummed through his bones. Red’s hands clenched the dark silk bedsheets as he watched Fell closely, his eye lights honed in on all the toys his master was pulling out for their night of fun.

 

Red would have never imagined in a million years that he would be this excited to be tied up and hurt, but here he was, practically drooling at the sight of Fell contemplating which whip or set of shackles he wanted to use.

 

Fell turned with a smirk plastered on his face as he walked over to his pet, accessories in tow. He watched with heated interest as Red sat up straighter, ever attentive to what was to come. “On your knees, and hands out.” Fell ordered as he dropped his tools onto the bed.

 

Red nodded, his face still flushed as he sat on his knees, his hands outstretched just as Fell asked. Immediately a set of leather hand cuffs were strapped to his wrists, a small link of chain connecting them. Red waited for Fell to clamp them on, biting his would-be lip as he felt his master tighten them as much as he could. He loved these. The more tied up he was the better.

 

Fell tested the cuffs just to be sure, pleased to see them firmly in place. He then reached down and tilted his pet’s chin up, exposing his neck and the new collar. With a soft click Fell attached a matching red leather leash. He tugged on the leash, forcing Red to lean forward and captured Red’s mouth in a deep, messy kiss. If Red’s pleased moans were anything to go by, it seemed as if his pet was happy with the toys so far.

 

Without warning, Fell broke the kiss and shoved Red onto his back, his smirk widening as he watched Red lift his bonded arms above his head, staring at him flushed and waiting. The sighet pushed Fell into action and he was back on Red in an instant. Fell attacked Red’s clavicle with a mix of sharp bites and soft nips. His long tongue snaked across every bone he could, tasting the marrow that would escape from his sharper attacks.

 

“Ahh! M-master yes!” Red was helpless to Fell’s attacks. He knew better than to try and reach for Fell. He could tell his master wanted complete control right now, so he wouldn’t move unless ordered too. The small skeleton panted, letting out small gasps each time Fell’s teeth sunk into his bones.

 

Once Fell reached the top of the black silk dress he growled in frustration and ripped the cloth, exposing Red’s body and fixing himself easy access to his pet’s ribs. His fingers clawed down Red’s scapulas and spine, leaving a trail of long, deep scratches.

 

“Ahh! F-fuck, Master!” Red didn’t have time to focus on the burning pain in his back as Fell’s tongue snaked in between each of his ribs and down his sternum. The small skeleton couldn’t help but tremble as his body was assaulted with a variety of sensations. Fell always knew how to heighten the moment with pain and bring him back down with pleasure. Although he was a little sad that the dress was ruined. As much as he hated being put in that thing, it was the outfit he wore on his first date with Fell.

 

“Red, I want you to do something for me.” Fell spoke as his sharp teeth grazed the base of Red’s spine, his tongue dipping down towards his sacrum.

 

“Wha..?” Red’s mind was a fuzzy mess. He had a hard time focusing on Fell’s words.

 

“I want you to form a cock for me as well.” Fell stopped all licks and bites, giving his pet a moment of reprieve so he could focus on his magic.

 

“Alright…” Red panted and shut his sockets, willing his magic to change now that his bones weren’t being assaulted with pleasure. It took a few moments, but after a while Red’s magic melded an already erect cock just above his ecto pussy. Red was a little weary. Normally having both genitalia meant twice the orgasms. He wasn’t sure he had the stamina to last longer than one go if he was coming from both of them.

 

“Perfect, such a good pet.” Fell praised as he reached for another toy on the bed. “Now, try to relax. This will only hurt a little.” Fell quickly took Red’s new member into his mouth and began sucking in earnest.

 

“Mnnh! Yes! Oh fuck!” Red threw his head back and involuntarily bucked into Fell’s mouth. He couldn’t help it. Stars how did Fell think this was painful? Red could only focus on how warm and tight his master’s conjured throat was. It was pushing him to his peak fast.

 

Feeling his pet’s cock throb and swell, Fell knew Red was ready to burst. He quickly pulled away from his pet and without letting the intensity die down, Fell pinched Red’s tip and pushed a large pill shaped object into his hole leaving a bit of the object poking out the top.

 

Red immediately went from pure bliss to pure pain. “Ow, shit! M-master… what is that?”

 

“Don’t worry, you’ll enjoy this very soon. You trust me right?” Fell asked as he looked up at his pet.

 

Red flushed and nodded. It hurt now, but if his master promised it would feel better then… he believed him.

 

“And you remember the safe word?” Fell reached down towards the edge of the bed and grabbed a small remote.

 

Red eyed the remote and swallowed a lump that had formed. Still, he nodded once again.

 

Reset. If he wanted Fell to stop he’d just yell reset. 

 

“Good.” With that, fell smirked and pressed a button on the small remote.

 

Immediately Red was sent into the throws of pleasure as the little pill like object began to vibrate. His legs shook and his tongue lulled out. The vibrations edged him on to the brink, but the object felt like a block, keeping him from orgasming.

 

“W-why does- Ahh! This feel- Nnnh! So familiar…?” Red weakly panted out.

 

“Consider this a redo of our first time.” Fell whispered against his skull, suddenly looming over him.

 

Red couldn’t respond. He could barely move. He let Fell move his body for him, suddenly realizing he was placed over Fell’s lap, leaning over like a child ready to be spanked. His leash was pulled taught, almost choking Red in the process. The pressure on his throat only caused to heighten the sensation. Red couldn’t stop the shaky moans from escaping as he felt Fell’s hand rub his neglected ecto pussy, his master’s fingers sliding up and down the slit of his lips.

 

“You’re not going to cum until I say so. Understood?” Fell asked as his fingers continued to tease Red’s pussy.

 

“Understood…” Red whispered. He’d agree to anything right now if it meant Fell would continue.

 

With his pet’s confirmation, Fell smiled and began fingering Red fast and hard. He could feel how wet Red was, their foreplay making him primed and ready for a rough go. Fell drank in all the moans and incomprehensible babbling from his pet, his magic heating to the sight of Red helpless to his whim.

 

Red’s body rocked against Fell’s fingers and the rhythmic jingling of the leash connected to his collar accompanied the flurry of moans and whimpers. Stars this was too much too fast!

 

Fell smiled as he pulled harder on the leash while the same time plunging his fingers in deeper. He basked in the choked moans and gasps his pet made, his own cock throbbing to the sounds. 

 

“F-fuck fuck fuck! M-master! I can’t… I’m gonna come! Please let me come!” Red cried out as he felt the coils of his orgasm growing. He was already on the verge of coming, it wasn’t going to take him long with how rough and deep Fell’s fingers were going.

 

“Not yet.” Fell smirked as he continued to finger his pet even harder. He watched Red’s hips rise and fall with the force of his plunges. To add to the torture, Fell’s thumb began rubbing his pet’s swollen clit in time with his fingering, his smirk widening the louder Red’s cries became.

 

“No! No! Stop! I can’t-Ahhhh!” Red stiffened in Fell’s lap as his orgasm came crashing down without his approval. He gripped the bed sheets tight in his hands as his pussy clenched around Fell’s fingers, his cum leaking down his femurs. Red continued to cry and pant as he realized he was able to cum through his ecto pussy, but his cock was blocked. “Fuck! I can’t stop cumming! Nnnh!” Red’s eye lights rolled into the back of his head as his orgasm from his ecto cock was denied. It felt like he was constantly both coming and on the brink at the same time.

 

“Such a bad boy, disobeying orders.” Fell pressed another button on the small remote and the vibrations from the little pill increased. The taller skeleton watched as the other began drooling with overstimulation, their bones raddling uncontrollably. “Looks like you need to be punished.” Fell raised his hand to his face and licked away Red’s juices from his fingers before swiftly bringing his hand back down to smack Red hard and firmly.

 

“Ahh! Please Master, I’m sorry!” Red moaned as Fell’s hand came down to strike him once again. It only took a few hits for his magic to react and form an ecto body and a bottom for Fell to smack. In the back of his hazed mind, Red was surprised his magic reacted so quickly to accommodate Fell, but he couldn’t for the life of him focus on that detail for long. Red’s body went limp as he allowed himself to be overcome with overstimulation. Each stinging strike from Fell’s hand sent a wave of arousal to his strained cock.

 

“Fuck, Red… Your cries are too much. I can’t wait any longer.”

 

Red heard Fell growl out before he felt himself tossed on his back. He looked up at his professor and watched Fell unzip his pants and free his long, throbbing cock. Without realizing, he licked his teeth as he watched the little bead of precum drip down Fell’s tip, his hips bucking involuntarily at the sight.

 

“Heh… So needy. That’s a good little pet.” Fell suddenly grabbed Red’s legs and lifted them up, forcing the smaller skeleton’s hips up as well. Fell watched Red pant and mewl as soon as he began rubbing his cock between his student’s legs, the underside of his shaft grazing the smaller skeleton’s wet pussy lips.

 

“Please…” Red pleaded as he tried to buck into the rubbing, desperate for more simulation. He still felt like he was on the edge of cumming, his cock strained and twitching as the little pill continued to vibrate inside his urethra.

 

“Please what?” Fell teased.

 

“Please fuck me, Master!” Red cried out, tears of prolonged pleasure and stimulation streaming down his cheeks.

 

Red didn’t have to beg twice. He cried out in relief as Fell pushed in all the way. With a low moan, his professor’s cock slid in deeper than usual with the new angle. Fell wasted no time in building up a fast, steady pace, plunging into his pet relentlessly as Red gasped and moaned freely. Fell had held back long enough, now all he wanted to do was fill his needy pet with his hot cum.

 

“Ahh! Yes! More-Nnnh!” Red’s tongue lulled out and he drooled shamelessly as Fell thrusted into him hard and fast. He could hear the lewd squelches from his previous orgasm lubricating his professor’s cock, but he couldn’t find it in himself to care right now. He just wanted Fell to use him. He wanted his master to fill him up.

 

Fell panted and grinned watching Red dissolve into a mess of moans. He could see his pet’s face flush brighter, Red’s magic rushing to his head as he lifted his pet higher. Fell began to thrust into Red faster, his hips snapping and his cock pushing against the one spot he knew drove his pet wild. Each time Red’s pussy clenched around him it drew him closer and closer to the edge.

 

Immediately Red began to writhe and cry out. Fresh tears of overstimulation began to stream down his face. “Fuck! Right there! Fuck me! Yes!” Red trembled as he felt another orgasm begin to build. Fell’s cock rubbed and hit his sweet spot, all the while his own cock bounced to the force of each thrust, a constant reminder of the vibrator stuck in him. “Ahh! I’m gonna cum! I’m cumming!”

 

Fell leaned over Red and sped up his thrusting. His hips moving almost franticly as his own orgasm quickly mounted. He watched Red’s body bounce and pound into the mattress, his hips up in the air as he pushed his cock in as deep as he could. “Fuck Red!” Fell let out a low groan as he released his load deep into Red. Fell watched as Red’s magic swelled creating extra space to hold all of his cum as each spurt made the magic grow bigger and bigger.

 

Red’s bound hands gripped at the sheets above his head as he arched his spine into Fells orgasm. Feeling Fell fill him up set him over the edge and Red’s own orgasm came crashing over him in waves. His cock twitched painfully and after a few seconds, the small pill shape vibrator was forced out along with a stream of cum and squirted onto his chest and face. Red cried out in pure bliss as he was finally able to cum, relief flooding his tense and stressed bones.

 

Slowly, Fell eased Red’s body back flat onto the mattress. He watched as both their magic dissipated, the only remains being both his and Red’s cum covering the small skeleton’s bones.

 

Red panted, catching his breath, his eyes closed with exhaustion.

 

After a while, he felt a soft, wet cloth dab across his cheeks. Red’s sockets opened and he spotted Fell leaning over him, a wet rag in his hand.

 

“If you let your tear streaks dry they’ll stain your face.” Fell commented softly as he continued to dab at Red’s cheeks tenderly.

 

Red looked to the side of the bed, suddenly noticing all the items left out on the night stand. There was a bottle of water, some rags, a first aid kit, and some pain meds. Red’s cheeks began to warm as he realized Fell must have set out the after care items in advance. He hadn’t noticed them in the heat of the moment. The thought warmed Red’s soul. Fell planned on taking care of him from the start.

 

“Thank you…” Red shyly forced out, suddenly realizing how hoarse his throat was.

 

Fell simply smiled warmly as he continued to care for his pet.

 

Red couldn’t look at Fell. The small skeleton quickly averted his eyes, not wanting to stare at his professor for too long. There was that damn feeling every time Fell gave a sincere smile. Red could only hope and pray that his soul wasn’t glowing right now.

 

Red’s hands clenched into tight fists as he tried to will his feelings away. He reminded himself that he and Fell were only master and pet.

 

Nothing more.

 

__________________________________________________________

 

Quiet ticking from the clock echoed through the room. Everything was still. The towel from Red’s shower laid carelessly on the floor. Red’s laptop remained turned off and silent on the desk in the corner of the room. Red’s shredded dress was discarded in the nearby trash can. The only other noises that could be heard were the soft rustling of Red’s t-shirt and pajama pants.

 

Red sighed softly as he tossed and turned restlessly in his bed, unavoidable memories of the night plaguing his mind. The boutique, the restaurant, the collar, the sex… Red shut his sockets tighter only to see Fell’s face appear, a soft genuine smile across his normally sharp and stoic features, the same smile he saw tonight at dinner then again after sex. As soon as the image appeared in his mind, Red’s soul reflexively pulsed, forcing the small skeleton to finally open his sockets and stare at the blank wall of his ceiling. Red’s eye lights focused on the unmoving blades of his ceiling fan as his mind whirled with a myriad of emotions.

 

Tonight had been the best night of his life.

 

And it was all because of Fell…

 

Red’s hand came up and gripped at the new collar that stayed securely latched around his neck. He let his phalanges rub against the cloth as warm, pleasurable pulses emanated from his soul, his magic happy to have his tactile comfort back.

 

Stars he just for the life of him couldn’t relax or get comfortable, no matter how much he tossed and turned in the soft cotton sheets. Red finally pried his eyes away from his ceiling to look around the guestroom-turned-his-bedroom. For a while, Fell had let Red sleep in his room while he occupied the guest room. Now that he was an official resident living in the condo with Fell, Fell thought it was best he finally get a space of his own. The room was large, larger than his dorm room used to be. He had a desk, a book shelf, and a graciously sized closet. He had been sleeping in his own room for a couple weeks now. Fell had gone out of his way to make accommodations, ensuring that Red would feel comfortable. It was all very kind and appreciated, but it just…

 

It wasn’t Fell’s room.

 

This wasn’t Fell’s bed.

 

Fell wasn’t here…

 

Red sighed once more as he pushed the palms of his hands against his sockets, grinding the bones together in frustration. He shouldn’t be thinking this way. He shouldn’t be upset. Fell had done more than enough for him. More than he could ever thank the other skeleton for. It was time he stopped imposing on Fell and gave his professor some space. Stars did he think he could just take over Fell’s room and bed forever?

 

Red felt his magic begin to dust lightly against his cheeks as his imagination wondered to the possibilities of Fell letting him sleep in the same bed. What it would be like if Fell willingly cuddled him, held him close. He would be surrounded by Fell’s scent, pressed against his professor’s broad chest, held tight and safe in his strong arms…

 

No!

 

Red growled at himself as he shook his head. He was being selfish again. Fell had done more than enough for him, and everything was fine just the way things were. He was going to end up sabotaging everything if he kept pining for more. Fell was his master, just his master. There would never be anything more.

 

Red continued to try and force his emotions away, to understand that if he wasn’t careful he could end up losing everything. As Red argued with himself, his soul began to clench painfully in protest, almost as if the object was arguing back.

 

Red gave one last sigh of frustration before flinging the soft cotton sheets back and standing up from the warm bed.

 

He needed some air. Maybe that would help clear his head.

 

Without grabbing a jacket or slippers, Red walked to the large sliding glass door that lead to the condo’s balcony. Slowly, Red slid the door open and stepped outside into the cold autumn night’s air. Carefully, Red closed the glass door behind him, weary about making too much noise. Red knew the balcony stretched across the entirety of the condo. It could be accessed by both the living room, his room, and Fell’s room. He had to be sure not to make too much noise.

 

Red then turned towards the balcony’s edge and looked out at the spectacular glittering lights of downtown New Home. Red couldn’t deny that Fell’s condo had one of the best views in the city… The scenery, the cool fresh air, the shimmering stars that mirrored the city lights, it was all too serene and beautiful. It was like a dream. The small skeleton took in a few deep breaths before walking over to the patio furniture and taking a seat on the outside couch.

 

Red let his mind go blank, ignoring his worries and his racing thoughts in favor of the soft city noises. It also helped that he was so close to Fell’s room, the patio furniture sitting in between the glass doors to his room and Fell’s. Red wrapped his arms around himself as he leaned back into the couch taking comfort in knowing Fell was just a few steps away. Even if he couldn’t see or touch him…

 

Just being close was enough for him. 

 

Red stayed quiet as he sat on the balcony, his eye lights watching the headlights of cars and the changing colors of street lights. Everyone was either rushing home to their loved ones, or already safe and sound in bed with them. The thought, as cheesy as it was, made Red smile just a bit. It wasn’t too long ago that Red thought such romantics were reserved exclusively for romance novels. Never in his life did he ever think he would consider the possibility of such a life for himself. Sure Red’s life wasn’t the quintessential love story that people dreamed of, but to Red… it was like he was living in a fairy tale. Like he was living the life of a protagonist from one of his books.

 

Suddenly, there was a soft click followed by the sound of a glass door sliding open.

 

Red turned, shocked to see Fell walk out onto the balcony, a heavy sigh escaping his sharp teeth. His black tank top looked messy and his grey sweats hung lazily off his hips. He looked… tired. Exhausted even.

 

Fell was about to close his glass door when he froze, noticing Red sitting quietly on the patio couch.

 

“Red? What are you doing up so late?” Fell’s voice was softer than normal.

 

“I couldn’t sleep.” Red smiled sheepishly.

 

“You too?” Fell let out a soft amused hum before turning his head in the direction of the city skyline.

 

Red watched carefully as his professor gazed out into the city lights. It looked as if Fell had a million and one thoughts on his mind.

 

Fell then turned and leaned against the concrete slab that acted as the railing, facing Red. “You aren’t in pain are you?” Fell asked with a bit of worry in his voice.

 

“Wha…? Oh! No, I’m not hurting or anything.” Red felt his face flush with magic as he realized Fell was checking up on him after their intense sex session.

 

“Oh… good…” Fell commented awkwardly, almost as if he didn’t know what else to say. After a moment of silence, Fell spoke up again. “I hope your first date lived up to your standards.”

 

Red could feel his magic burning even brighter on his face and he turned his head to avoid his glow from showing. “It did. It w-was beyond my expectations. T-thank you.” Red felt his stutter return along with his embarrassment.

 

“I know school is important, but don’t let it get in the way of life. You have to remember to live once in a while.” Fell smirked, his tone a little teasing.

 

“E-excuse me?” Red turned towards Fell and gave his professor a questioning look.

 

Fell blink in confusion, returning the sentiment. “Didn’t you mention you had never been on a date due to school and your studies?”

 

“Oh! That!” Red laughed nervously as his lie was thrown back in his face.

 

Fell’s sockets narrowed a fraction as he stared at his pet. Red was lying about something. He knew his pet well enough to know when Red was trying to avoid a subject. Even though Fell could demand Red to be honest, he just didn’t have the drive to do so. Fell wanted Red to be comfortable enough to be open to him on his own terms, not because he was being ordered to do so. Fell sighed softly as he realized Red still didn’t fully trust him. But… it wasn’t without reason. Fell’s own actions were to blame. He knew that. He had done things to Red that would forever damage their connection. He didn’t fault Red for that. He was to blame…

 

Red stopped laughing long enough to notice the sudden dejected look on Fell’s face. There that look was again… the same one from when they were out at dinner. Red felt a heavy pang of guilt hit his soul. He knew Fell was perceptive. Probably even more perceptive than any of his friends. It wouldn’t be too far of a stretch to assume Fell knew he was hiding something.

 

Red frowned as he realized he was most likely the cause of Fell’s pain. He knew he promised Fell he would be more open, and now that he was looking back on his behavior from the evening, he realized he had avoided being honest all evening. At every turn, Red was still holding back and hiding his feelings. Not being honest about the issue with Muffet and the dress, his standoffish behavior in the car, his lying about not being nervous in the restaurant… No wonder Fell was upset. He was breaking his promise all over the place.

 

Red sighed as he looked down at the concrete ground, his toes just barely touching the floor as he nervously kicked back and forth.

 

Fell had been open and honest with his feelings. He opened up about wanting to keep him around. He asked him to stay in his life. He opened himself up, he showed his vulnerable side. Fell was holding up his end of the promise…

 

The least he could do was be a little honest with Fell… 

 

Even if it meant telling him…

 

“Actually…” Red spoke up, catching Fell’s attention. “I lied…”

 

Fell kept his eyes on his pet, choosing to stay quiet. Obviously Red had lied, he figured out that much.

 

Red was quiet for a while before he took a slow steadying breath. “The reason I’ve never been on a date before wasn’t because I was busy with school or studying…” Red looked to the side, not wanting to see Fell’s reaction. “It was because I was worried about staying alive while being tossed from foster home to foster home…”

 

Fell’s firm stare melted in an instant. The tall skeleton stayed silent as he stared at his pet in silent shock.

 

Red was quiet for a while, his soul pulsing nervously and painfully behind his ribcage as he forced himself to continue. Red eventually moved, pointing to a particularly large scar on his right arm. A faded mark where his radius had been snapped in half. “This was from foster family number two…” He then pointed to the scar on his left leg, “Foster family number three…” Red moved his hand once more, pointing towards his ribs that were hidden behind his shirt. “Foster family number four- uh… yeah, you get the picture.” Red finished with a forced nervous chuckle.

 

There was silence.

 

Red did his best to keep his eyes anywhere except Fell. His bones began to rattle as tears swelled to the corners of his sockets. With each passing moment of Fell’s silence, Red’s worry began to grow. He did it, he finally did it. He told Fell about his past. Now his professor could see him as he truly was, a weak, pathetic, one HP, unwanted monster. Fell could look at him with disgust like the rest of the world. Red wanted to be mad at himself, but he couldn’t find the energy. It was either tell Fell now, or have his professor grow to hate him from all the lies and secrets. Either way, it was going to end badly.

 

“I thought…” Fell spoke and then froze once more before clearing his voice to come out clearer. “I thought your scars were from Doggo.”

 

“No… well, not all of them. Doggo did a few…” Red corrected.

 

Fell frowned as he stared at Red’s trembling form on the couch. He hated how he hadn’t been able to realize it from the start. It all made sense now. Red’s timid behavior, his aversion to conflict, his on the surface gruff attitude. These were all learned traits, survival instincts kicking in to preserve his one HP in a situation where he was surrounded by violence and abuse. It made sense that these traits were learned over the course of a lifetime, not just by one roommate. Fell’s anger began to boil. He wanted someone to blame. The system, their government, they had failed Red. A whole infrastructure of checks missed. Multiple monster’s mistakes led to a child getting lost in the system, never to be checked up on, never to be rescued… Fell wanted to scream. He could feel his magic brimming to the surface, gathering at his clenched fists. So many people had failed Red, he himself being one of them.

 

Fell wanted to yell, he wanted to scream and thrash and throw our every attack he knew. He wanted to blow out all his frustration and anger. He felt like he needed to do something!

 

But he couldn’t… Not now.

 

Fell watched Red’s trembling form, the tale tell sign of his student desperately trying to hold everything together.

 

No, he couldn’t lash out right now.

 

Right now, his pet needed him.

 

Slowly, Fell made his way over to the couch and sat down next to Red. He felt the smaller skeleton flinch due to their now close proximity. Fell could tell Red was trying to hold everything together. He also knew how much Red hated to cry, or show any sort of perceived weak emotion in front of others.

 

Instead of forcing Red to look at him, Fell simply reached out and held Red’s hand. Immediately he felt Red’s hand relax and allow their fingers to entwine.

 

Fell didn’t talk. He didn’t push Red to talk either. Fell simply sat still holding Red’s hand, waiting for the smaller skeleton to calm down.

 

It took a while, but eventually Red’s shaking subsided and he was able to even out his breathing. The small skeleton took one last deep breath before slumping down on the couch. His emotional turmoil sapping what little strength he had left from the evening.

 

“Red.” Fell spoke softly once he noticed Red had calmed down enough

.

Red slowly turned and looked at his professor, his eye lights a little dimmer than they normally would be.

 

“Your scars do not define you.”

 

Red was surprised. He was almost sure Fell would be disgusted with him.

 

But then again… he thought Fell would be disgusted by his scars earlier at Muffet’s, and he was wrong about that too…

 

Red’s soul warmed just a bit. It wasn’t a long winded, inspiring message. It was short, to the point. But it was just as powerful. His scars had been a constant reminder of his failures, a permanent mark that he allowed to define him as weak. But hearing Fell… Red suddenly felt like he could believe him.

 

Fell turned towards Red and gave the small skeleton a warm smile. He then reached up and pointed to the scar on his right socket. “This was given to me by my father the day I told him I would not be taking over the family business, and instead would be perusing my passion for literature.”

 

Red’s sockets widened. He had always wondered where that scar came from, but he always felt like it wasn’t his place to ask. He never would have guessed it was caused by family. Red had always imagined that real families were close and loving. He never would have imagined family being cold towards their own blood. Red felt his face warm to the thought. Fell was more like him than he ever thought… Red felt his magic react, his soul churning with a myriad of emotions. He didn’t know what to say.

 

“You are a good, strong monster Red, there’s no doubt about it. You are not strong despite your scars, you are just plain strong. It’s one of the many reasons I like you.”

 

Red’s skull began to glow even brighter. Red wasn’t sure if Fell caught what he said, but Red sure as hell did. His soul began to flutter in his chest and he became hyper aware of how relaxed they seemed to be to just hold each other’s hand. Red couldn’t help but notice the small romantic undertones. It was small, very small. But it was there…

 

“Red, your bones are freezing. I think it’s best if we go inside and retire for the night.” Fell commented once he realized just how long the two had been sitting outside in the chilly night air. He could feel the temperature difference between him and Red, and he noticed his pet seemed flushed. Fell’s sockets narrowed just a bit as he wondered just how long Red had been sitting out here without a jacket before he arrived.

 

“Oh, r-right.” Red smiled nervously.

 

“Let’s go.” Before Red could say anything, Fell rose and began to drag Red with him towards his room.

 

“Wait, Fell. Shouldn’t I go back to my room?”

 

Fell turned his head, hiding the light dusting of crimson that began to glow on his sharp cheeks. “I can’t sleep. I read somewhere that sleeping with someone else helps. So you’ll be sleeping with me in my room from now on. Understand?” Fell spoke, trying to sound both nonchalant and demanding.

 

Red’s sockets widened.

 

What?

 

Fell wanted him to…

 

Red’s soul suddenly swelled with happiness. He didn’t know what happened, or how the stars aligned to make such an event come true, but he didn’t question it. “Yes, Master.” Red did his best to hide his excitement from his voice as he allowed Fell to drag him into his room and shut the sliding door behind them. 

 

Slowly, Red slid into the familiar silky sheets of Fell’s bed. Immediately he was assaulted with the familiar scent of Fell. It was like the comforting aroma hugged him just as much as the warm linens. Red carefully eased his head down on one of the plush pillows, his soft smile spreading even wider as he felt Fell slide into bed behind him.

 

With a snap of his fingers, Fell’s magic turned the lights off and the two were shrouded in darkness.

 

Minutes ticked away in the quiet room. The only noise to be heard was the occasional shuffle of sheets. Both Red and Fell feigned sleep as the two eased closer together, bridging the gap between the two in bed. After thirty minutes of careful maneuvering, fake yawns and stretches, the two cuddled close, wrapped tight in each other’s embrace. Red felt his soul ease, its pulses calm and warm as it beat in time with Fell’s. Red felt his bones relax and his sockets become heavy with actual sleep. Soon the skeleton allowed himself to drift off, his mind no longer a jumble mess as he took comfort in his spot in Fell’s arms.

 

It was okay, he could relax now. He was home…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> With this chapter marks the end of arc 2.
> 
> I can't wait to show you guys arc 3. (˵¯͒⌄¯͒˵)


	23. The New Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me so long to figure out the pacing for this arch. But once I did things flowed so well.   
> Sorry for the wait guys!

There was silence, that annoying silence again. Blue felt a small sweat drop of annoyance cascade down his skull as he walked quietly, lunch tacos in tow, all the while Fell walked next to him without saying a word. It had been almost a week now since all of them had gone on their respected dates. Blue was more than a little taken back when he heard from Rus that Red had gone on a date with Fell. Why he had to hear about it from his boyfriend and not his best friend was beyond him. Honestly he was a little miffed. Blue was under the assumption that he and Fell could tell each other anything, but it was obvious the way Fell refused to comment on the date that it wasn’t the case.

 

Blue sighed as Fell continued to actively ignore his poignant staring. “You are going to have to talk to me about it sooner or later. That’s what friends do…” Blue put a little more emphasis on the word friends, hoping to guilt the other professor into talking. He knew it was petty, but Blue was beyond himself at this point. He wanted answers.

 

The Fell he knew didn’t do relationships. He didn’t date. He didn’t do romantic gestures. It was the whole reason they broke up. A small, very small piece of Blue felt a little betrayed. How come Fell dated and romanced Red, but not him? Blue was quick to shake his head, swiftly ridding the thought from his mind. It didn’t matter now. He was with Rus, and he was extremely happy. It wouldn’t do any good to keep dwelling on the past. But still… Blue needed to know what was going on in Fell’s head. Red was important to Rus, and Rus was important to Blue, so subsequently, Red was important to Blue. If he was to be a good boyfriend to Rus, he had to look after his boyfriend’s friends. And that meant making sure Fell wasn’t just stringing Red along, giving the poor skeleton false hope for something more that would never happen. Stars above he knew very well what that felt like…

 

“There’s nothing to talk about. I simply showed Red what a proper date was like so he would know what to expect in the future, and accept nothing less than perfection.” Fell kept his eyes straight, not once bothering a glance in his colleague’s direction.

 

“So… you plan on breaking it off with Red so he can date other people in the future…?” Blue asked, not completely buying Fell’s reasoning. It didn’t strike him as something his friend would do. He was too possessive of Red to let the other skeleton go.

 

Fell shot Blue an angry glare, annoyed that his friend had challenged his bluff. As if he would ever let anyone have Red. But he knew that was exactly what Blue wanted to hear.

 

“Just as I thought.” Blue mumbled quietly, catching the exact moment Fell panicked.

 

Fell simply turned his skull back, making a point not to look at Blue any longer. He didn’t want to see his friend’s smug look. Damn Blue for being able to read him so well!

 

“Well, we’re here.” Blue decided to let the conversation drop as he stopped outside the lab doors that led to the room the students used during their lunch breaks.

 

Fell crossed his arms and stared into the long rectangular windows of the lab doors, watching as Red laughed with his friends. His eye lights honed in on the small skeleton, watching as Red clipped some wires he was working on. The skeleton known as Sans made a shrugging gesture and spoke up causing the other two skeletons to laugh again. Fell couldn’t hear what they were saying, but seeing his pet so relaxed and happy set his soul at ease.

 

“You know, you can join us if you want.” Blue offered quietly for the fifth time that week. It was strange and a little heart wrenching to see Fell stare so longingly at Red. He was sure Fell didn’t even realize he was doing it himself, and Blue didn’t want to point it out and possibly scare Fell off. Blue couldn’t tell what was going on in Fell’s head. Fell continued to deny any attraction towards Red, reaffirming that Red was only a pet. But… Fell’s actions and behaviors towards Red were obvious enough. Blue could tell Fell cared about Red, even if the detached skeleton didn’t see it himself. It was plain as day. The only thing Blue didn’t know was how strong those feelings were. And he was pretty sure Fell didn’t know either…

 

“No, I just came to walk you over. That’s all.” Fell turned, tearing his eyes away from Red. He had to delegate his time with Blue now that his friend was spending more time with his student/boyfriend. Fell knew that if he didn’t make time for Blue, his friend might have another freak out and worry he was being forgotten, or something equally absurd. Blue had a tendency to over react to emotional impulses. The irony of his psychology professor friend.

 

“Alright… well if you ever change your mind, we’ll be here. I’m sure Red would be happy to see you.” Blue commented, noticing the small almost invisible flinch from Fell’s stiff shoulders.

 

Blue then turned and entered the lab room. He was greeted with a couple waves and a chaste kiss from Rus.

 

Fell watched Blue enter the lab room. He took one last look at Red before walking off to get a head start on his afternoon class.

 

“Who’s hungry!” Blue beamed as he held up his Tupperware container full of tacos and rice. If he wasn’t going to feed these busy science students then who would? Blue knew from the time he spent with the students that neither of them were keen on maintaining healthy diets.

 

Sans watched with a tired grin as Rus and Red gathered around Blue for lunch tacos. He let a little chuckle lose as he watched his look-alike nervously but gratefully accept the plate of food. He vaguely wondered how Red was handling having both a ‘mom’ and a ‘dad’ fuss over him now. He wouldn’t lie, it was incredibly amusing and albeit a little heartwarming to watch.

 

Right as Sans let loose a large yawn, the doors to the lab opened and in walked Papyrus with coffees in tow. Sans couldn’t stop his grin from spreading into a genuine smile as he watched Papyrus walk up to him and envelop him in a bone crushing hug. “Hey Paps, how was your morning?” Sans asked and received an affectionate skull nuzzle in return. The gesture had his soul fluttering. Stars, no matter how long they had been together, both officially and unofficially, Sans just couldn’t get over the fact that someone cared about him. It still felt just as new and exciting as when they first met.

 

So, this was what a healthy relationship felt like… he could definitely get used to this.

 

“MY MORNING WAS INCREDIBLE! I ACED TWO OF MY TESTS!” Papyrus beamed before finally letting go of his boyfriend. He noticed Sans’ smile widen even further, pride in his normally lazy lidded sockets.

 

“That’s great, Paps! I knew you could do it.” Sans was happy to hear Papyrus excelling in his academic classes. He knew the jock struggled with his core classes. His worry over his grades and possibly losing his scholarship was a serious concern for Papyrus. As soon as Sans found out, he made it his mission to help Papyrus anyway he could. That meant tutor sessions at home and helping him with his homework in the morning before school. It was a little tiring considering he had his own homework and thesis project to work on, but it really didn’t bother Sans at all. He was just happy to see Papyrus happy. That’s all that mattered.

 

Before Papyrus could respond he watched Sans yawn once more, the smaller skeleton bringing up a bony hand to hide his little fangs that showed on the rare occasions he opened his mouth. Papyrus flinched as he suddenly realized the coffee in his hand. “HERE! I BROUGHT THIS FOR YOU.” Papyrus smiled as soon as he saw the way Sans face lit up at the caffeine.

 

“Gee thanks, Paps. How’d you know I needed a little pick me up?” Sans took the warm beverage and savored his first sip. His bones warming to the liquid and his magic getting that little boost it needed. He hadn’t been sleeping well the past week, his nightmares coming back at full force. Although, now that Papyrus spent most nights in his bed, he didn’t wake up in a panicked sweat anymore. Normally he would be eased awake by the soft nuzzles, or the gentle pressure of Papyrus’ tightening hold. He could tell Papyrus himself never woke up, but it was almost as if the taller skeleton just… knew. It was like Papyrus had grown a subconscious sixth sense to whenever Sans was in distress. Regardless what it was, Sans had never felt more safe, or comforted.

 

Papyrus flinched and quickly diverted his eyes to another part of the room. “WELL I JUST ASSUMED… I MEAN YOU’VE BEEN WORKING SO HARD IN THE LAB!” Papyrus chanced a glance back at Sans and was relieved to see the other skeleton sipping his coffee quietly, taking the explanation without question.

 

Papyrus mentally let go of a breath he had been holding. He didn’t like keeping secrets from Sans, he learned his lesion after the Halloween fiasco, but… this secret, he just for the life of him couldn’t speak up about it.

 

Ever since Papyrus discovered their souls had bonded ever so slightly, the freshman began to notice some odd changes with his own soul. He was acutely more in tune with Sans’ feelings. At first Papyrus wasn’t sure what was going on. Maybe his own emotions were just all over the place, maybe he was simply flustered over finally becoming intimate with Sans and making their relationship official. But over the course of the week Papyrus quickly noticed those strange, vague, misplaced emotions were not his own and in fact Sans’ emotions bleeding through into his own soul…

 

Papyrus couldn’t outright feel them all the time, he had to be near the other skeleton and focus hard to differentiate his emotions from Sans’, but after some days of quiet observation Papyrus was able to confirm he was now able to feel Sans’ emotions through their soul bond. Whenever his soul would speed up with anxiety in culinary as Frisk walked by, he knew that was Sans. Whenever he felt stressed and burned out while the two sat on the couch doing homework, he knew that was Sans struggling over a particularly difficult assignment. Whenever he felt exhausted in the morning even though he had a full night’s sleep, he knew that was Sans.

 

Papyrus didn’t know what to do. Sans had been so skittish about intimacy and commitment that it took them this long to become official. How was he supposed to approach Sans with this new information? Would it scare him off? Would he feel violated? Would he feel pressured by having a soul bond so early in the relationship? Soul bonding was something monsters did after they got married once they found their soulmate, not when they just stared dating.

 

Papyrus could feel his own worries and anxiety sky rocket at all the possible worst case scenarios that played in his head. He just didn’t know what to do. He was frozen with indecision.

 

“Papyrus? You okay…?”

 

Sans’ gentle voice brought Papyrus out of his own head and back to reality. The taller skeleton placed a forced smile on his face and nodded, not trusting his voice to go along with his act.

 

“Paps…” Sans looked up at his boyfriend with worried sockets. He could tell there was something going on with Papyrus, something the other skeleton wasn’t telling him. He didn’t know how he knew, it was just… a feeling.

 

Without a second thought, Sans set down his drink and tip toed up to wrap his arms around Papyrus’ cervical vertebrae, pulling the taller skeleton down into a soft, affectionate kiss.

 

Papyrus was a little taken back by the sudden display of affection, but still reciprocated the kiss nonetheless. After a moment, Papyrus could feel his bones relaxing under Sans’ surprisingly strong hold, his magic much more eager to accept Sans’ calm, comforting emotions thanks to their bond.

 

After a long breathless moment, Sans finally pulled away as to cradle Papyrus’ skull in his hands, forcing the other skeleton to stare at him. “I don’t know what’s going on Paps, or what’s got you so upset, but… everything will be okay. I promise. And you know I hate making promises.” At the last part Sans was happy to see Papyrus huff in amusement and nod his head.

 

Sans did hate making promises, Papyrus knew that very well. The comforting gesture had his fears melting away the longer he looked at the smaller skeleton.

 

“Hey! You two love birds going to make out all lunch, or eat?” Rus joked as he wiggled his brow bones at the now blushing couple.

 

Red smacked his face and shook his head at Rus’ tasteless tact, while Blue looked just as embarrassed as Sans and Papyrus, his twitching smile trying to convey his own apologies for his boyfriend’s behavior.

 

Papyrus was quick to straighten himself out and clear his throat while Sans glared daggers at his friend for interrupting their moment.

 

The two then joined the others, grabbing themselves a plate of food before joining in on the conversation and laughter.

 

The rest of the lunch hour went smoothly, full of light conversation, bad puns, and nourished stomachs. Papyrus and Blue gushed about Mettaton’s new cooking show that was scheduled to launch while Sans, Rus, and Red made progress on their thesis project.

 

Towards the end of the hour, Papyrus perked up, suddenly remembering his big announcement he was so eager to rush to the lab and tell the others about. “OH! I ALMOST FORGOT! THIS FRIDAY WILL BE OUR SCHOOL’S LAST GAME! WE MADE IT ALL THE WAY TO THE FINALS AND IT WILL BE US AGAINST EBOTT UNIVERSITY!”

 

All the skeleton’s smiled, giving Papyrus their own personal congratulations. This would be the first time MSU made it to the finals in over the thirty years they had been allowed to compete. For a while humans didn’t even compete with monsters, claiming monsters had an unfair advantage. Even though they assured the humans they didn’t use magic during matches, the humans refused to believe them. Once the humans finally saw the monsters were being truthful, they finally let MSU compete. Although, it soon became apparent that monsters had relied on magic for so long that they neglected to train their muscles or stamina. For years MSU was humiliated by the human schools. Humans had years to hone in their training techniques. Human athletes trained all their lives just to play a game competitively. It took several decades for monsters to catch up.

 

Having MSU make it to the finals was a historical moment not only for the school, but for all of monster kind. It was just another step towards monster equality. Being seen as equals. 

 

“That’s amazing, Papyrus! I’m so proud of you guys.” Sans beamed. He knew how big of a deal this was for monsters and Papyrus personally.

 

“YES, IT IS QUITE AMAZING INDEED. I WAS ALSO HOPING… THAT MAYBE, YOU ALL WOULD BE THERE TO CHEER ME ON..?” Papyrus smiled nervously as he wrung his hands together. He knew how much Sans, Rus, and Red hated football, and he had already asked them to come and show their support once. He was hoping he wasn’t being too pushy or stepping over his bounds.

 

Instead of frowning, or sharing displeased looks, everyone in the room lit up with a smile and nodded.

 

“Of course we’ll be there. Wouldn’t miss your big game for anything, babe.” Sans responded coolly, causing Papyrus to flush at the pet name.

 

“YOU BET YOUR LUCKY STARS WE’LL BE THERE!” Blue was practically crawling over Rus with excitement, his eye lights morphing to bright, exuberant stars. Rus chuckled and tried to hold Blue in place on his lap to keep his boyfriend from falling. He gave a thumbs up to Papyrus to confirm that he shared his boyfriend’s enthusiasm.

 

“You’re our friend, of course we’ll be there you goof.” Red gave a toothy smile, no signs of stress or anxiety about going to the game at all.

 

Papyrus felt his soul swell with joy. How lucky was he to have such cool friends? Papyrus felt his own excitement sky rocket as he shook to contain his happiness. After a short moment of restraint, Papyrus finally gave in and lunged forward, wrapping everyone in his long arms and pulling them all into a tight group hug. “YOU GUYS ARE THE BESTEST FRIENDS A SKELETON COULD EVER HAVE!”

 

The group laughed at Papyrus being well… Papyrus. Each of them either returning the hug, or giving an awkward pat on the back before Papyrus finally let them go so they could all settle back down in their respective spots.

 

As the rest of the group continued their chatter Sans quietly reached over and grabbed Papyrus’ hand. He smiled at his boyfriend, giving Papyrus’ hand a small squeeze to show his support.

 

Papyrus didn’t even have to look at Sans to know what the other skeleton was feeling. He could easily feel the pride and support flood through their connection. Still, Papyrus turned and returned the smile to his boyfriend, his soul swelling with fondness and affection towards Sans.

 

___________________________________________________________

 

Fell gave a small grunt of disapproval as he shuffled through the stacks of papers on his coffee table in the living room. They were less than two weeks away from the end of their first semester and most of his students seemed adequate at best... Their practice test scores were average, but they weren’t great. None of his students really seemed to excel in literature.

 

Well, none except for Red.

 

Fell gave a small chuckle while thinking about his pet. It’s not that he favored Red over the other students, nor did he go easy on Red. In fact it was quite the opposite. In order to keep rumors at bay that Red was sleeping for his grade, Fell had adopted a harsher grading scale for his pet. Although, no matter how tough, or strict he was with his assignments, Red always found a way to exceed his expectations. Red was a good student, period. Fell couldn’t help but smile with pride at the thought. Of course he would pick the smartest monster to be his pet. He was The Great and Terrible Fell after all, it would only be natural that his pet be just as great as he was.

 

As if on queue, Fell noticed Red exit their bedroom wearing a crimson colored sweater and adjusting his new winter jacket. The tall skeleton raised his head from his work to look over his pet. “What is all this for? Are you going out?” Fell questioned while setting his paperwork on the table.

 

Red looked over at Fell and smiled as he smoothed out his fur lined black leather jacket. He looked more edgy than normal in his street clothes. His dark jacket matching his black jeans, his red shoes matching his sweater and magic. It was a refreshing change to his usual stuffy school uniform. “Yeah, going to meet up with my friends, then head over to the football game to watch Papyrus play.”

 

Fell immediately straightened, his sockets narrowing. “You are not going to the football game.”

 

Red flinched at Fell’s sudden shift in demeanor. He was using his master voice, not his Fell relaxing at home voice. “W-what? But, why?”

 

“Do I really need to spell it out?” Fell stood, crossing his arms over his chest. He looked tense and uncomfortable. An odd sight to see from the normally composed, assertive skeleton.

 

“Yes! Because I don’t get what the big deal is.” Red frowned as Fell’s glare grew. That was obviously not the answer he was looking for. Still… Red wasn’t going to back down. Sure Fell was his master and had done so much for him, but was Fell pushing the rules so that Red could never hang out with his friends outside of school? He had a life to live! Sure he knew Fell was the possessive type, and up until now that had been one of the things he found so attractive. But this… this was going a bit too far.

 

“It’s a very big deal!” Fell stepped forward, his magic unsure if it should react or not.

 

Red could see the faint wisps of deep blood colored magic form in his professor’s socket. Fell was pissed, that much he could tell. But he didn’t understand why.

 

“I hang out with my friends all the time! Why are you suddenly trying to keep me from them?!” Red shouted back, matching Fell’s pitch.

 

“I’m not trying to keep you from your friends! That’s not it at all!” Fell stepped closer, shouting even louder.

 

“Then what’s the big deal?! It’s just a dumb football game!” Red stepped closer as well, not backing down from Fell.

 

“BECAUSE DOGGO WILL BE THERE AND I DON’T WANT YOU TO GET HURT!”

 

Red flinched and suddenly went quiet.

 

Of course… Doggo…

 

Red felt guilt well up in his soul. How could he have forgotten? Red looked down towards the ground, one hand clenching into a fist at his side as the other reached up to grip his collar. It had been so long since Red had even given Doggo a passing thought. Everything in his life was perfect now, he had almost forgot about his ex-roommate and all the abuse that asshole put him through. Red bit his tongue, unsure what to say to his professor. ‘I’m sorry’ didn’t seem like enough at the moment.

 

Fell took a deep breath before rubbing his hand over his face. He could hear the scrape of bone on bone as he tried to rub away his frustrations. He knew it wasn’t Red who he was angry with. He shouldn’t take his emotions out on his pet. He knew that. But… he just couldn’t control himself. He could never control his emotions when it came to Red.

 

Fell took another deep breath before continuing, his hand still covering his face. “I almost lost you too many times… and Doggo he-“ Fell had to pause for a moment to collect himself. “He has hurt you too much, and it took me this long to finally get you out of there.” Saying it out loud only acted as a reminder to how Fell failed Red again and again.

 

Red pulled his eyes away from the floor to look up at Fell. He could see the pain and frustration that coursed through his master’s soul and bones. The stress, the regret, the guilt… it was plain as day. Red opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but found his voice stuck in his throat.

 

“I don’t… I don’t want you near him… I want to protect you.” Fell admitted in a pained whisper.

 

Red’s legs were moving before he even realized. In no time he was next to Fell, his hands gently reaching up to the other skeleton’s arms. Slowly, Red was able to pry Fell’s hand from his face, forcing his professor to look at him. “You do protect me… Fell, you saved me…” Red chuckled softly as he recalled all the times Fell had been there for him, both physically and emotionally. How Fell saved him from the fire and from Doggo. How he helped push him to be more confident in himself. How every time Fell looked at him, Red didn’t feel like a waste of space. Like he was someone, someone with purpose. Like he had a reason to keep living. “You’re the whole reason I’m still alive…” Red admitted softly. 

 

Fell smiled softly as a comfortable silence stretched between the two. He didn’t understand how or why, but Red always found a way to comfort him, even if he didn’t realize he was doing it. Red could match his temper yet still have enough patience for his possessive, borderline sociopathic tendencies. On many levels, Red was his equal. Fell had never encountered a pet like Red before. It was one of the many reasons Red was special to him. The first ever pet Fell wanted to keep around.

 

After a moment of silence, Fell let out a small sigh. “You really want to go to this game, don’t you?

 

“I do. It’s important to Papyrus. He’s a friend now, and I gotta show him my support.” Red reasoned while reaching out to hold Fell’s hand. He wanted to convey how important this was. No way in hell would he willingly go to a football game by choice. But Papyrus was officially a friend, and Red made sure to support his friends just like they always did for him.

 

“I don’t know…” Fell looked off to the side, unable to handle staring into Red’s eyes. He could have sworn Blue was infecting his pet with terrible habits. Ever since Blue started spending more time with the students, Fell noticed Red picking up some tricks, like Blue’s signature puppy dog eyes. Unfortunately for Fell, they were more effective when Red did them…

 

“I’ve gone before and everything was fine. My friends will be there, professor Blue will be there. I’ll be safe.” Red insisted.

 

“I don’t know your friends and I wouldn’t trust Blue to handle a truly aggressive situation to save his life! He would try lecturing the mutt to death with encouraging words of ‘trying to be better’.” Fell grumbled the last part in annoyance almost as if he could picture the whole scenario in his head.

 

Red opened his mouth to protest again, but found himself giving up and staring down at the floor despondently. How was he supposed to argue with that?

 

Fell glanced over at his pet and saw the defeated look on Red’s face. Immediately Fell’s soul pinged with an uncomfortable emotion. He didn’t like seeing Red in such a state. Drats! He was going to end up spoiling the smaller skeleton at this rate. “Very well then,” Fell spoke up, catching Red’s attention. “Since I know this is important to you… and I don’t trust your friends nor Blue to keep you safe from Doggo… I have no other choice than to accompany you myself.”

 

Red’s sockets widened and his skull began to glow ever so softly with a crimson blush. Did Fell just say what he thought he said? His professor- his master- was going to hang out with him and his friends at a football game? Red couldn’t help but let his mind overthink the situation. If he didn’t know any better, this sounded like something boyfriends did to meet their significant other’s friends. Red could feel his soul flutter in his rib cage, valiantly ignoring his attempts to squash his romantic hopes.

 

“A-are you s-sure?” Red asked without even thinking.

 

Fell raised a brow bone and placed his hands on his hips. “Of course I’m sure! You are mine remember. It is my duty to keep you safe. And until I can confirm myself that your friends are adequate protection, I will be accompanying you to any potentially dangerous outings.” With that, Fell turned and headed towards his bedroom to change for the football game.

 

Red watched, skull glowing as Fell left the living room to prepare.

 

As if hit by a ton of bricks, Red suddenly realized the seriousness of the situation. His master was going to meet his friends. His purely sexual, no romantic intentions, closet of pain and kinks master was going to meet his friends. The same friends who were most likely going to ask about their relationship and demand answers.

 

Red’s hands grabbed at his collar for dear life as his soul sped up in his rib cage for a whole new reason.

 

Stars, this was going to be a stressful evening.

 

________________________________________________

 

Excitement buzzed through the air as packs of both monsters and humans flooded the arena. Students already buzzed from hours of tailgating hollered and cheered as the gates opened to the inner stadium allowing people to take their seats for the big game. Reporters, both monster and human alike stood just inside the stadium, each one eager to broadcast every detail of the game of the century.

 

“Oh my gosh! Rus look!” Blue tugged on his boyfriend’s sleeve while pointing over at the group of reporters. Standing in the middle with the flashiest outfit was none other than Mettaton himself. Blue squealed, his eye lights morphing into stars. “Mettaton’s here! Oh man… I wish Papyrus could see this.”

 

Rus chuckled at Blue’s excitement while he kept himself comfortably perched against a wall out of the way from the crowds of people flooding the hall and entering the stadium. “Hey who knows, maybe Papyrus will get to meet Mettaton personally. I’m sure the guy will want an interview with the team.”

 

Blue gasped at the possibility. “Do you think it would be rude if I text Papyrus and ask if he could get me an autograph?” The small professor whimpered, torn by the ethical dilemma.

 

“You can try, but Paps’ phone is off. He’s in the locker room getting ready.” Sans spoke up after walking up to the two. He nodded to Rus in greeting who nodded back.

 

“Drats!” Blue pouted, earning a chuckle from both Rus and Sans.

 

“Did you get to see our boy off?” Rus questioned while draping an arm around his pouting boyfriend’s shoulder.

 

“Yeah… kind of. His team was pretty eager to get his attention, so I pretty much only got to say good luck before he was dragged off.” Sans shrugged while forcing a lazy smile. Unfortunately the fake grin didn’t fool either Rus or Blue. Sans knew the football team hated him. He was a huge nerdy sore to Papyrus’ image. Even though he had won over a few football players at Doggo’s Halloween party, there was still a large number of football players who would prefer if Sans was no longer apart of the picture. Sans knew Papyrus wasn’t vain, or superficial like the rest of his teammates, but… being surrounded by people who didn’t support your relationship was bound to cause some problems, right?

 

Red walked up to the group just in time to catch the last part of their conversation. The small skeleton sighed seeing the way Sans forced a smile to his face, his true emotions obvious to anyone who really knew him. “Screw those guys. You’ll get to hang out with Papyrus after the game.” Red grinned, hoping to reassure his friend some.

 

Everyone turned towards the direction of Red’s voice ready to greet their friend with enthusiasm, but as soon as they did every skeleton went silent.

 

“Fell?!” Blue gasped at the sight of his friend and colleague. Hell must have frozen over because standing next to Red, so casually in his normal street clothes, with the most passive expression, was none other than Fell.

 

“Blue.” Fell mocked his friend, returning the greeting in the same fashion except with much less enthusiasm and shock.

 

Red noticed his friends shocked silence which caused the nervous skeleton to shuffle awkwardly in place. He supposed this was going as well as he could hope. “Uh hey guys. Fell wanted to come with. Uh… hope that’s okay?” Red desperately wanted to cling to his collar for comfort but knew better than to bring any attention to the accessory which might bring up questions about his and Fell’s relationship. If his friends could just ignore him and Fell all evening then that would be perfectly fine by him. 

 

“Uh yeah, of course. Nice to finally, er… officially meet you, Professor.” Sans corrected himself. He remembered they had briefly met before, although it was in the middle of the night right after Doggo had attacked Red. Everything was… a little hectic. Formal introductions were forgotten in favor of Red’s safety and well-being. Then of course their anxious friend proceeded to dodge any questions about his professor after the case. Sans and Rus knew better than to push the subject, but it seemed there was no avoiding the questions now. Sans gave a glance at his look-alike, shooting Red a knowing look.

 

Red swallowed a lump that had lodged itself in his throat the moment Sans shot him that look. He knew what that look meant. That was the ‘we are going to talk about this later’ look.

 

Rus was the first to break the awkward tension in the air as the taller skeleton cleared his throat before standing straight. “I think this calls for some boozdiments, don’t you guys agree?” Rus received quick nods from both his friends.

 

Heh, thought so. There was no way any of them were going to get through this game sober.

 

“Boozdiments?” Blue questioned while cocking his head to the side curiously.

 

“Booz infused condiments.” Sans informed and chuckled at the face both Blue and Fell made.

 

“You guys want anything?” Rus asked as he pulled his pack of cigarettes from his pocket. They were technically outside the arena, so if he wanted to get a smoke in he needed to do it now.

 

“I doubt they’ll have anything healthy…” Blue wondered out loud. “Fell, what about you?”

 

Fell simply shot Blue a look that said he was completely uninterested in any food, or drink from a football game.

 

Blue sighed, feeling a nervous sweat drop down his skull. Sure Fell being here was probably nerve wracking for Red, but it was also nerve wracking for him too. This was going to be Rus’ first impression of Fell. He wished his friend would be nice or at least semi-social, just once in his life.

 

“Uh… how about we just guess and bring you back what we think you’ll like.” Sans offered, quickly defusing the awkward situation. He noticed from the corner of his eye Red giving a small sigh of relief.

 

“Sounds great!” Blue beamed and stood next to fell. The small professor then discreetly jabbed the other’s side, forcing Fell to grumble and nod in agreement.

 

Rus smiled at Blue, but kept a close eye on Fell. “Okay then. We’ll be back, Babe. Come on Sans, Red, let’s go.”

 

As soon as the students vanished down the hall past the bustling crowds Blue let out a heavy sigh of relief. “Stars that was uncomfortable.”

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Fell chuckled, enjoying his friend’s comedic suffering.

 

“It’s not funny!” Blue whimpered while slumping over to overdramatically show his exhaustion.

 

“It is a little.”

 

“Fell, what are you even doing here? I thought you didn’t want to hang out with Red in public.” Blue straightened up while looking over at his friend curiously.

 

Fell quickly turned his skull and crossed his arms over his chest. “Doggo will be here. I simply wanted to make sure Red would be safe. I didn’t trust you, or the other students to handle such a dangerous situation.”

 

“Uh-huh…” Blue smiled teasingly knowing very well that was a weak excuse even for Fell’s standards.

 

“Listen Fell…” Blue suddenly shifted, changing his tone to sound more serious and catching Fell’s attention. “This is going to be the first time you meet Red’s friends…”

 

Fell stiffened, but otherwise stayed still while holding Blue’s uncharacteristically serious gaze.

 

“And this will be the first time Rus will really get to meet you.” Blue looked down and began twiddling his thumbs. “This is… it’s important to me. My boyfriend meeting my best friend. It’s important to me.” Blue then tore his eyes away from the ground to look back up at Fell. He waited for his friend to slowly nod at him before continuing. “And I’m sure it’s important to Red too… so, please… try to be social tonight? Give them a chance. You’ll find out they’re good kids.” Blue finished with a soft smile.

 

If only Fell knew how good of friends Rus and Sans were to Red. Maybe, just maybe Fell would be more willing to spend time with them all. And maybe he could get Fell’s blessing for his relationship with Rus. Sure Blue didn’t need Fell’s blessing. He would keep dating the student regardless. But still… having the support of the people around him, the people he admired and cared for, it mattered. 

 

Fell locked Blue’s stare for a while before slowly letting out a soft sigh.

 

________________________________________

 

“Okay, we’ve been patient. We’ve been understanding, and given you space. But now you need to talk.” Sans deadpanned while the three stood in line at one of the concessions stands waiting for their order. They had ordered full bottles of condiments and some food. It was an odd request, one the concession workers had never confronted before. The manager agreed to sell them full bottles of condiments, but that meant going into the back and retrieving them from stock. 

 

Red rolled his head back and let out a long groan. He knew this was coming. “Come on guys, this… i-it’s no big deal.”

 

“Red…” Rus warned in a serious tone. The things Blue told him about Fell, they were concerning. He could tell when Blue was trying to hide something and the night he asked about Fell, he could tell his boyfriend was leaving out some crucial information. This professor was Blue’s ex, his best friend, and Red’s current… something or another. Rus didn’t feel comfortable being left in the dark anymore. “You’re living with your professor. You two have something going on and don’t say it’s nothing because we already know it’s something more than nothing.” Rus explained while shifting in place, holding his cigarette close to his face. “You’ve been distant and skittish about the topic and it makes us worried. Is there a reason you’re trying to hide something? Should we be worried?” 

 

Red looked over his friend’s concerned stares. He could feel his soul speed up as his excuses ran out. He was nervous. He had every right to be! How would his friends react if they knew? Would they be disgusted with him? Would they be angry with him? Or worse, would they be angry with Fell?

 

Red took a long steadying breath before slumping his shoulders in defeat. He was so used to hiding, to guarding himself from anything and anyone that he had begun distancing himself from his only friends. Red knew his arrangement with Fell was initially unhealthy. They had gone about it all wrong. It was only recently that Fell taught him about safe words and boundaries. Just a week ago they hadn’t even been completely open and honest with one another about their pasts and who they really were. Red knew exactly what their relationship looked like to anyone except them. He knew people would view Fell as an abuser, but that wasn’t the case. At least not to him. Would his friends respect his feelings enough to restrain their anger when he told them?

 

“Red… listen, we’re your friends, bud. We won’t judge you.” Sans spoke softly, hoping to ease any insecurity Red may be harboring over this. Sans recalled the way Papyrus knew about Red’s literature class before any of them. He knew his friend was defensive and tried to keep a tough image of himself as a protection method. It would make sense that Red would want to hide a student-teacher relationship. Red worked hard to get to where he was all on his own, it would be understandable that their friend be worried rumors of sleeping for a good grade might spread. Sans could only hope that Red trusted them enough to know they would never think less of the other skeleton, no matter what. For crying out loud they openly supported Rus and Blue. Sans couldn’t understand why their friend would even consider they might not be okay with his relationship with Fell.

 

Red smiled weakly at Sans’ reassuring words. His friend was right. They had never judged him before. They never thought less of him whenever he came to them bruised up and broken from Doggo. They never looked down on him when he told them about his past and his foster families. This would be no different. They were his friends. He could open up to them.

 

“Fell uh…” Red shuffled awkwardly while stuffing his hands in his coat pockets. His soul pulsed anxiously behind his rib cage the longer he paused. Red closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath and a much needed moment to gather himself before continuing. The small skeleton then opened his sockets, looking his friends in the eyes as he spoke. “Fell isn’t my boyfriend. He’s my master.”

 

Red noticed the unchanging, unreadable expressions stuck on his friend’s faces.

 

“I’m his pet. That’s our relationship.” Red finished with a small toothy grin and a halfhearted, nervous shrug.

 

There was a long moment of silence were neither skeleton said anything, frozen in place. Red couldn’t tell if they were just processing the information, or if they were angry and holding back their scolding remarks.

 

“So… you guys have a sexual master-pet relationship?” Rus reiterated, looking for further confirmation. It did make sense, but there were still pieces that didn’t add up. “But you guys live together. Is that normal for your guys’ situation?”

 

“Well uh, I’m not sure. There’s no real set of rules. It’s different for every pair.” Red shrugged again and looked at his friends once more, making sure they weren’t mad. Neither of them looked angry. Rus simply looked confused, and Sans kept his emotions unreadable. “For me and Fell… he wanted to keep me away from Doggo. That was his reason for having me move in with him.” Red continued and smiled as soon as Rus looked like he started to get things.

 

“Huh… that’s actually good to hear.” Rus smiled at Red’s explanation. A lot of things were starting to make sense. If Fell was into master-pet play that would explain why he and Blue didn’t work out. Blue was a romantic. Sure his professor had his kinky side, but it was tame compared to the kinks Red and Fell were obviously into. Hearing that Fell was just as protective of Red as he was made him much more comfortable about the whole situation. He still wanted to get to know Fell, and he was still weary of the guy, but at least he could count on the other professor to protect Red if need be.

 

Red felt his soul lighten as soon as Rus smiled. Having his friends be okay with him and Fell was important. He felt like a weight had been lifted. He no longer had to hide things from his friends, or sneak around and make excuses. It was liberating.

 

“You guys are just master and pet?”

 

Sans sudden question caught both Red and Rus’ attention. Rus couldn’t help but raise a brow bone at Sans. The tone in his friends voice… it wasn’t completely happy, or supportive sounding. 

 

Red flinched at the question, but quickly nodded. “Yeah we are.”

 

“But is that what you want..?” Sans’ stare was firm. It was uncharacteristic of the normally laid-back skeleton.

 

“Y-yeah, of c-course.” Red stammered out. He could feel his anxiety rise and he was sure he could feel his magic flushing on his skull. Of course Red didn’t meet Fell and immediately think of arranging a sexual partnership with the edgy professor. He wanted more with Fell. But he was happy with what he had and he wouldn’t want to risk losing it for any reason. The sex was amazing. It was passionate, hot, and erotic. Plus he got to stay by Fell’s side. But Red knew Fell didn’t do relationships, or romance. So hot steamy sex was a good compromise. Their arrangement wasn’t romantic… but it was intimate in its own way. A way that no one else would understand, something only Red and Fell could feel.

 

Sans kept a hard stare on his friend, studying Red’s little mannerisms that he had picked up over the time they had known each other. “Let me rephrase the question... Do you want to be Fell’s pet? Just his pet?”

 

Red flinched. He could feel his mouth opening and closing, his voice stuck in his throat. The look Sans was giving him… The way he asked his question… the tense, almost sorrowful look he was giving him…

 

He knew.

 

Sans knew he wanted more with Fell. 

 

“Sans, relax. Red is allowed to live his life the way he wants to. If he wants to have a mature sexual relationship with his professor than who are we to judge.” Rus chuckled nervously hoping to defuse the situation. Sans was acting strange. His friend was tense, serious, and abnormally cold all the sudden. Sans wasn’t offering words of encouragement, he was interrogating Red. His voice sounded scolding and judgmental. Rus felt his soul clench with dread wondering what had gotten into the smaller skeleton. 

 

Before Rus or Red could say anything else, the concession attendant handed them their food and drink. The three quietly paid for their snacks and headed back to the spot they had left Fell and Blue.

 

Red kept his head down trying to avoid looking at Sans. He could tell Sans had more to say on the subject, but he didn’t want to hear it. He didn’t want to hear his friend scold him for deciding to stay with Fell. Their relationship - if that’s what you could call it – was just now getting to a comfortable spot. Red didn’t want to mess anything up. He was happy. That’s all that mattered. So why wasn’t Sans happy for him?

 

As the three returned to meet up with Fell and Blue, Fell’s sockets narrowed as his eyes honed in on Red’s slumped frame. Fell wasn’t sure what happened, but he could tell his pet was reverting back to his default behavior of shy, reserved nervousness. The tall professor stared at his pet, annoyed with whatever, or whoever caused Red to act such a way. But… he promised Blue he would behave himself and at least try to have a social disposition. 

 

As soon as Red came up to his side, Fell whispered softly for only his pet to hear. “Red, is everything alright?”

 

Red flinched and immediately forced a fake grin on his face. “Y-yeah! Everything fine,” he lied, not wanting Fell to worry. The last thing he needed was for Fell to go after his friends in one of his overprotective master rages. The small skeleton then flushed and handed Fell a pretzel. “H-here, got this for you. It’s s-stuffed with cheese and marinara. It’s s-supposed to be a pizza pretzel, but I figured that’s as close to lasagna as we could get here…”

 

Fell took the pretzel and studied it for a bit. He had to admit, it did smell good. Of course his pet would think about his preferences and pick accordingly. Fell smiled as he reached down and pet Red’s skull affectionately. “Thank you. This looks delicious.”

 

Red smiled, a small warm blush working its way onto his skull at the gesture.

 

Fell smiled in return. Red’s stutter was not missed on him. Fell wasn’t sure what happened to cause his pet to act in such a way, but he was sure to give Red as much comfort and support that he needed tonight.

 

As everyone was slowly making their way into the stadium, Sans turned to watch Red and Fell closely. Sans frowned as he watched the way Red blushed and smiled so sincerely at the mere touch from Fell’s hand. Sans continued to stare, his soul churning with an uncomfortable emotion.

 

______________________________________________

 

The marching band played the school’s anthem loud and proud as both teams entered the field. Both sides of the stadium roared to life with cheering, each side rooting as loud as they could for their team. The energy was electric and excitement high. Fans from all walks of life eager to witness history in the making. Monsters especially were ready to have their athletic prowess legitimized and memorialized for years to come. Just one more feat to achieve that would force humans to recognize them as their equals.

 

Even though the stands were rumbling with heightened energy, all Rus could feel was an uncomfortable aura around their little group. Sans sat on his right with Blue on his left. Red and Fell sat directly behind them, but there was no mistaking the silent treatment radiating off his normally laid back, comedic friend. It was almost as if Sans was trying to exclude Red and Fell from their group.

 

Blue, keen to the silent aggressive behavior, tried to mend the uncomfortable air as much as he could. The small professor continuously turned around to comment, or check on the others to make sure they were enjoying the game. Rus gave his boyfriend’s hand a grateful squeeze, hoping to convey his gratitude each time Blue tried to defuse the situation. Blue was a psychology professor after all, of course he would pick up on the almost unnoticeable social tensions.

 

Sans on the other hand was not enabling Blue’s tactics. He decided to focus on the game instead. Sans was here to support his boyfriend and that was it. He would worry about Red later.

 

“Hey, that’s not their normal line up…” Blue commented, catching everyone else’s attention. All the skeletons turned towards the field.

 

“You’re right, I don’t see Doggo anywhere.” Rus responded as he searched the field, not spotting Doggo’s jersey anywhere on the active players that were walking around getting ready.

 

“But isn’t he t-their star quarterback? If he’s not there, w-who’s gonna play?” Red mumbled, not sure if he should speak up and possibly annoy Sans, or keep quiet to the point Rus and Blue might think he wasn’t listening.

 

Blue’s sockets squinted as he scanned the field further. “Wait, someone else is taking the quarterback’s spot. Whose jersey is that?” 

 

“That’s Papyrus’…” Sans responded in shock.

 

Papyrus was just a freshman. Yet they were putting him out at the start of the game, completely taking over Doggo’s position. Sans blinked with wide sockets.

 

This was a turn of events no one saw coming. 

 

Red glared as he continued to look over the field. Doggo, that ass hole, made his life miserable from the moment he truly settled into school. Being the star quarterback was his dream, the one thing that mattered over anything else. Not his grades, not his friends, but his reputation as monster kind’s hero football star. It was all he talked about back when he could still fool himself into thinking Doggo and he could be friends. Yet now that the time was here, the jerk was no were to be found.

 

Blue felt a nervous sweat drop down his skull as he realized Doggo was not going to be playing in this game. The small professor then turned to look at Fell who simply crossed his arms and stared impassively at the field. There was no way to know for sure, but Blue had a pretty good suspicion that Fell may have had something to do with Doggo’s disappearance…

 

Down on the field, Papyrus moved on auto pilot. The world around him felt heavy, almost as if he was watching everything under water. The lengthy skeleton felt a nervous sheen of sweat drip down his skull before he placed his helmet on his head. He was in a dream. It was the only explanation. This couldn’t be real. Impossible.

 

Papyrus glanced to the sideline as both offence and defense coaches screamed at one another. Panic surged through the team as members questioned where Doggo was. No one knew. And time was running out. The offensive coach decided to make the move and place Papyrus to fill Doggo’s spot. The defensive coach was still screaming, telling everyone to wait, that he was just a freshmen and didn’t know all the drills yet.

 

Papyrus knew that as a skeleton he didn’t necessarily need to breathe, but he could feel his breaths coming out in fast, ragged pants nonetheless. Almost as if he was already winded from a long, hard game. Papyrus knew how important this game was to monster kind. He was well aware of the social and political undertones to this match. And now, everyone’s hopes and dreams were riding on his shoulders.

 

For all intents and purposes, he was carrying the weight of the world on him.

 

The responsibility and stress was monumental.

 

Papyrus watched like a viewer in a movie as teammates guided him to a huddle. He could tell the others were talking, but all he could hear was muffled voices and a high pitch ringing. The only thing he was sure of was his soul was beating too loud. Papyrus could feel his insecurities soar.

 

He couldn’t do this.

 

He can’t do this.

 

Just as Papyrus felt the urge to run, or faint, which ever came first, there was a small almost unnoticeable surge of confidence and pride shine in his soul.

 

It was like a spark. A small flame.

 

Papyrus blinked confused as he reached up and placed a hand over his sternum. That was odd, he was sure he was completely terrified. How come he felt so much confidence in himself all the sudden…

 

Papyrus gasped softly and his sockets widened. Instantly, he turned his head to look at the crowed.

 

Sans… of course.

 

Papyrus smiled as he felt the faint push of Sans emotions. His boyfriend’s unwavering belief in him was bleeding through their connection. He could feel him, all the way on the football field. Papyrus closed his sockets and blocked out everything else. All the noise, all the music, all the fear. Papyrus blocked out everything as he focused on the distant but strong pulses of pride and confidence Sans was sending him.

 

The small flame was burning brighter, hotter, stronger.

 

He was sure now, he could do this.

 

Papyrus then tor himself back to reality to plan with his team. He tapped into all the knowledge from his practice and training to formulate a solid kick off run. Papyrus knew he was just a freshman, he didn’t know all the drills the seniors used. He was new, inexperienced, but he was also The Great Papyrus. If anyone was going to be capable of winning this game and bringing pride to all of monster kind, it would be him.

 

With a clap, the break was made and the team lined up on the field to start the game. It was now or never. Papyrus watched his team get into position, all his teammates fired up and ready to help their new quarterback make the best plays possible. Everyone was on his side. The stands rooting for him. Papyrus’ sockets narrowed as he eyed Ebott University’s team, determination burning in his soul.

 

Sans and the others watched as the game played out. The anticipation was high. There was definitely a tense feeling in the stands. Neither skeleton felt like playing their normal drinking game as everyone focused on Papyrus down on the field.

 

The match was close. Neither team gaining a significant lead for long before the other team caught up. Both teams brought out their best athletes, and neither one was letting up. Both sides ready to show their full potential. Every player was pushing themselves to the limit.

 

As the game played on, the weather got colder. People in the stands began to huddle into their jackets, but no one wanted to leave. The fans stayed strong through the brisk, cold winter winds that started to pick up. The lights in the stadium brightened the now night sky as the game progressed to the fourth quarter. But just as the quarter started, small flakes of snow began to descend. Little white flurries of freshly fallen snow started to build on the field, making the grass moist and slippery.

 

Sans and the others felt their worries grow. With the field now wet due to the snow, injuries were more likely to happen. 

 

Red gave a worried glance towards Sans. Sure Sans was being a bit of a jerk, but he was still concerned for his friend. Football wasn’t exactly a safe sport. Injuries were already a serious concern. With the added obstacle of wet terrain, combined with how fierce the team was playing, someone was bound to get hurt. Red could only imagine how stressed Sans was. Papyrus wasn’t a monster who did anything half-assed. Anything he did, he did at 110%. Red could only hope that Papyrus didn’t push himself too hard.

 

The fans cheered as a fumble was made by Ebott University. A sudden stroke of luck. Everyone rose to their feet and screamed in excitement as Papyrus caught the ball.

 

“GO PAPYRUS GO!” Blue yelled as loud as he could.

 

“You got this, Papyrus!” Rus cheered along with his boyfriend.

 

Red moved to stand on his seat, tiptoeing to get a better look. Fell, as much as he tried to act unimpressed, felt his shoulders tense with anticipation.

 

Papyrus smiled to himself as he began to sprint across the field.

 

One touchdown, they just needed one touchdown.

 

As Papyrus sped by opposing members, he watched with pride as his team threw themselves at the giants that were the seasoned athletes of Ebott University. They were all doing their best to keep a line open for Papyrus, throwing their own safety aside for the game.

 

A spine tingling crunch echoed from Papyrus’ left as he heard a teammate collide with a brawny linebacker charging his way. Papyrus didn’t have to check to tell that tackle did actual damage to his teammate. Ebott players were taking this seriously. They were so focused on wining that they had actual intent to harm in their souls.

 

This was a risk monsters took when playing a contact sport. If a human with enough hate and LOVE in their soul tackled them with the intent to kill, there was no way any monster was walking away from that game alive.

 

But now wasn’t the time to think about that.

 

Papyrus didn’t give himself a moment to worry about the possibility of getting seriously injured. He had to keep running. His legs just had to keep moving. Just a few more yards…

 

A few more yards and monsters would have the win they always dreamt about.

 

“Papyrus look out!”

 

Papyrus turned his head in time to see a teammate just narrowly miss tackling an Ebott player. His teammate fell to the ground as the Ebott football player sidestepped him with ease and charged at Papyrus in full force.

 

Papyrus’ sockets narrowed as he waited for the lineman to get closer. Just a few more feet and he’d jump over him just like he did at the homecoming game.

 

The lineman hunched forward, ready to use every ounce of momentum to knock Papyrus over.

 

There! Papyrus stuck his right foot out, ready to propel himself over the impressively tall lineman. Except his foot didn’t have any firm traction to hold onto. A small patch of ice that formed under the blades of grass kept Papyrus’ cleats from finding any purchase. Papyrus’ balance was thrown off and he staggered to keep from falling.

 

Before Papyrus had anytime to rectify the situation, it was too late. With a loud crack, the lineman collided with Papyrus, his shoulder digging into the jock skeleton’s spine and propelling him up and over. Papyrus felt the world under him shift, and before he could try and straighten himself, he landed with a painful thud onto the ground below.

 

Papyrus wheezed and his vision went dark. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of not only his non-existent lungs, but his soul too. Every bone in his body ached and he felt the majority of his health bar vanish in a single hit. 

 

Everyone in the stands went silent.

 

Rus felt a hand suddenly grip his hoodie on his right. He looked over to see Sans staring with wide, watery sockets at the field.

 

It was like the world was in slow motion. The force of the tackle shot the ball out of Papyrus’ hands. Right as his vision came to, he saw the ball above his head, slowly falling back down to Earth. The lineman who tackled Papyrus was still sliding on the wet grass, his momentum too strong to stop. The rest of the opposing team was clamoring to catch the ball, but his teammates were doing their best to hold them back.

 

There was no one else around him. If the ball hit the ground they would be forced to line again. There wasn’t enough time in the game for another play. Papyrus had to finish this, now.

 

With more strength than Papyrus ever thought possible, he reached up and caught the ball in his hands. The world was still in slow motion. Papyrus couldn’t tell if it was due to the injury, or the adrenaline surging through his bones. Either way, Papyrus wasn’t going to stop. Not now. The team had come too far. He had everyone’s hopes and dreams carried on his shoulders. He had to push himself.

 

With his bones burning in pain and agony, Papyrus pushed himself up and propelled himself forward, back on his feet.

 

As soon as Papyrus was back on his feet, the world began to move again, but this time it felt like everything was moving in overtime.

 

Papyrus panted, ignoring the seething pain in his body as he sprinted down the field. Ebott players chasing after him with everything they got in a last ditch effort to win the game.

 

Papyrus could tell they were gaining on him. His injury had slowed him down significantly. There was no way he’d survive another hit.

 

As Papyrus honed in on the last stretch, he could see the end zone right in front of him. He was almost there, he was so close…

 

A loud yell caught Papyrus’ attention from the right as another player charged at him in a dead sprint. There was passion and anger in his eyes. Clear intent to harm. The football player lunged at Papyrus head first, his arms outstretched to grab at the skeleton’s middle.

 

Papyrus moved quick and let his cleats glide on the slippery grass. He leaned back, using the once deadly, wet terrain to his advantage, allowing him and his lithe skeletal frame to slip under the charging lineman’s body. Papyrus watched as the Ebott player just barely missed him as he slid the rest of the way into the end zone. 

 

Touchdown.

 

There was a small hush to the crowed before the stands suddenly erupted into thunderous applause and cheers. Cannons on to the sides shot off bright colored orange and blue confetti that showered onto the field as players jumped and screamed with joy.

 

Papyrus watched as the small colored papers fluttered down on him, mixing with the white snowflakes. It was beautiful, like a dream.

 

Papyrus didn’t have much time to zone out before the rest of his team converged on him, lifting him up on their shoulders as they shouted and cheered. 

 

Joy and pandemonium surged through the stands as monsters celebrated their first ever win against the humans.

 

“THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!” Blue beamed, his eye lights shimmering into stars.

 

“Phew, I was a little worried there…” Rus exclaimed with a relived breath. The tall skeleton felt like he needed a cigarette after watching that stressful play.

 

Red cheered, but not as loud as he wished he could. He was proud of his friend, incredibly proud. But he saw how hard Papyrus got hit. He was still worried about the guy.

 

Fell let out an amused and pleased hum as he smiled, watching the excitement flood into the stands. He had to admit, he was pretty proud of their school for finally putting those snarky humans in their place.

 

Sans let out a heavy sigh as he placed a shaky hand against his sternum. He smiled softly as he watched Papyrus be carried over to the rest of his team, everyone showering him with praise.

 

Papyrus did it. He won them the game. He was monsterkind’s hero. 

 

______________________________

 

Papyrus gave a sigh of relief as he was released from the medical office. Other than a little stiffness in his bones, he felt good as new. The medical staff had worked wonders. Just from that one tackle alone, Papyrus’ health had dropped down to 20 hp. He felt his soul grow heavy thinking what would have happened if he hadn’t been a monster with such high hp. If he hadn’t trained his stamina so hard. If he hadn’t been so meticulous with his practices. Lucky for him MSU had multiple physicians with healing magic on staff, all of whom were ready to go for the big game. It took a while, but finally Papyrus was back at full hp.

 

The jock skeleton then made his way to the locker room, only to find most of the teammates had already left. No doubt out in the town partying to celebrate their big win. Papyrus smiled at the thought. Everything still felt like a dream, he didn’t know when he was going to come down from the high of the win. Even though he was happy about it, still, he would have liked to celebrate with his team.

 

Papyrus was quick to shower and change back into his street clothes. He made sure to tuck his scarf around him now that winter was obviously in full force. A warm orange sweater under his letterman jacket made sure he would stay toasty in the cold winter night’s air.

 

“Yo Papyrus, there you are.”

 

Papyrus looked up and smiled to see several of his teammates walking up to his locker. One of whom being the dragon monster, Rick. A fellow freshman and a friend from culinary.

 

“RICK, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS DOING HERE? SHOULDN’T YOU BE OUT CELEBRATING?” Papyrus questioned as he looked over his teammates, all of whom gave a little laugh.

 

“We figured you’d need a bit to recover. That hit you took was painful just to watch.” Rick explained while the others nodded in agreement.

 

“BUT I FEEL FINE.”

 

“You may feel fine now, but we aren’t gonna take any chances. You’re one of us, Papyrus. And we protect our own. So, the team agreed we’d hold off on the celebration party till the end of the semester. That way you get a week or so to take it easy. Once we’re sure you’re all healed, then we’ll celebrate… and drink to our new star quarterback.” Rick smiled, holding up a fist in victory. His speech was followed by accompanying cheers from the other teammates.

 

Papyrus smiled bright, his soul swelling with happiness. For the first time ever, he felt comradery with his fellow teammates. Maybe they could all become friends. Maybe he had read them wrong. Granted, most of the teammates in front of him were fellow freshman like him. Still, it gave Papyrus hope that three more years on the football team would actually be… fun. 

 

“ALRIGHT THEN. WE’LL CELEBRATE LAER.” Papyrus smiled and joined in with a victory fist of his own. Immediately he was huddled by cheering teammates, all congratulating him with fist bumps and pats on the back.

 

“We’ll catch you later, Papyrus. You go home and take it easy now. Rest up man.” Rick ordered good-naturedly with a wide grin. The rest of the team said their goodbyes before heading off. They had stayed behind to make sure Papyrus was okay and to properly congratulate him. Next was to plan the best celebration party the school had ever seen.

 

Papyrus waved his newfound friends off before zipping up his jacket and heading out. Now that he knew his team hadn’t gone celebrating without him, he was in a much brighter mood. Papyrus wasn’t even a few feet out of the stadium before he spotted Sans and the others waiting under a veranda, staying dry from the now moderate showers of fresh, soft snow. Before Papyrus could even call out to the others, Sans perked up and ran towards him, tackling the taller skeleton in a tight embrace. Had Sans been taller, he may have knocked him over by the force of the hug. Instead, Sans buried his skull into Papyrus’ chest, his arms wrapping as far and as tightly around his ribs as he could.

 

“WELL HELLO TO YOU TOO SANS.” Papyrus chucked and hugged his boyfriend in return.

 

“Are you okay? How you feeling? How are your injuries?” Sans asked in a hurry, his voice a little shaky.

 

Before Papyrus could respond he felt Sans running checks on him. He couldn’t help but smile fondly at Sans’ overprotective behavior. “I’M FINE SANS, REALLY. I’M OKAY.” Papyrus cupped Sans’ skull in his hands, forcing his boyfriend to look him in the eyes. Slowly, he could feel Sans’ anxiety melt away through their soul bond. Only then did Papyrus lean in and give the smaller skeleton a soft passionate kiss. Instantly their connection was flooded with affection and happiness. Papyrus couldn’t stop from smiling victoriously at that. 

 

“Congratulations.” Sans whispered against his teeth once they parted, causing Papyrus to blush ever so softly.

 

Hearing Sans’ praises meant the world to him. He wished he could tell Sans thank you, that his unwavering confidence in him is what helped push him to win the game. Of course he couldn’t mention that without mentioning the soul bond. So Papyrus settled for giving Sans a bright, grateful smile. 

 

“CONGRATULATIONS, PAPYRUS!” Blue shouted as the rest of them walked up to the two.

 

Rus gave a proud smile and a pat on the back which only caused Papyrus to blush brighter. All this praise was making him flustered. 

 

“Great job, Papyrus.” Red smiled while Fell nodded in agreement at his side.

 

“OH! PROFESSOR FELL, YOU CAME! THANK YOU!” Papyrus lit up at the sight, his skull obviously glowing now. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Everyone had come to show their support. His game had even brought Fell along. Everything was perfect now. With Fell now hanging out with their group Red was no longer left out.

 

“Congratulations.” Fell offered simply. He still noticed Blue giving a discrete thumbs up. Most definitely praise towards his proper social behavior.

 

“So you heading off to drink the night away with your team?” Rus commented as Blue began to huddle into his boyfriend’s side. Rus gave his professor a quick smile before wrapping his arm around the smaller skeleton, trying to keep him as warm as possible. “Or are we celebrating nerd style?” The comment had Blue giggling, knowing exactly what kind of party the students tended to have.

 

“AH WELL… MY TEAM DIDN’T GO OUT TO CELEBRATE. THEY WANTED TO WAIT TO MAKE SURE I HAD FULLY RECOVERED.” Papyrus immediately noticed the way Sans tensed and looked up at him with worried sockets. Papyrus was quick to raise his hands in a placating manor, hoping to quell Sans’ worries before they spiraled out of control. “I’M FINE THOUGH! I DIDN’T LIE ABOUT THAT. IT’S JUST… MY TEAMMATES WANTED TO BE CAREFUL. THEY WANTED TO GIVE ME SOME TIME TO REST, JUST TO BE SAFE. THEY PROMISED WE’D ALL CELEBRATE LATER WHEN THE SEMESTER WAS OVER.” Papyrus explained and relaxed when he saw the tension leave Sans’ shoulders.

 

“Wowzers, that was awfully considerate of them.” Blue smiled at the thought. After all the things he’d learned about the school and Doggo, he was beginning to wonder if there were any other good monsters left at the school. But hearing how the football team cared so much about Papyrus’ well-being had his hope soaring. He knew people could be better if they just tried. 

 

Rus let out a small hum of agreement at Blue’s words. Honestly hearing that the football team was genuinely concerned for Papyrus was a surprise. It was a step in the right direction. So for now he wouldn’t question it. “As much as we’d love to celebrate your big win, I think we should follow your team’s example and let you rest. I know you say you’re fine, but you still look pretty beat… and I don’t think Sans going to stop hovering around you till you’re safe in bed at home.” Rus chuckled as Sans blushed and ducked his head, embarrassed that Rus had read him so easily. 

 

Papyrus turned towards Sans and smiled comfortingly. He understood completely. If Sans had gotten hurt, he wouldn’t want to hear any excuses. He’d force the other skeleton into bed with a bowl of soup immediately. He could understand Sans’ reservations. And besides, the others weren’t wrong. He did still ache… quite a bit… He just didn’t want to ruin everyone’s fun. But it seemed the others were right. His health and well-being came first. He couldn’t argue with that.

 

“I SUPPOSE YOU’RE RIGHT… BUT JUST SO YOU KNOW, YOU ALL ARE INVITED TO THE PARTY AT THE END OF THE SEMESTER!” Papyrus didn’t feel bad about inviting his friends without his team’s consent. He was the quarterback for the whole game. Plus, Sans and him were official. It would be weird if he wasn’t allowed to bring his boyfriend and his friends along. He couldn’t possibly see how anyone would have a problem with it. Nerds or not, they were his friends and it was their party. If anyone had a problem with it, they could say it to his face. 

 

“I guess that means we’re heading home.” Sans mused with a lazy smile. He moved to Papyrus, ready to teleport them home.

 

Before the others departed, Rus turned to take one last look at Red. He could see his friend standing quietly off to the side, unsure if he should wish them a good night, or even say goodbye to Papyrus. He looked hurt. Just like the day they met. Too shy to speak up. But now it was worse. He was too scared to speak up to his friends, the people who were supposed to have his back and support him.

 

With narrowed sockets, Rus suddenly turned towards Sans, catching the smaller skeleton’s attention before he teleported. “Hey Sans, uhh actually before you go… you got a sec?” He nudged with his head towards a secluded portion of the stadium, behind a corner of a wall. The others could still see them, but definitely not hear them.

 

Sans blinked in confusion, but nodded none the less, following his friend so they could speak in private.

 

“Hey Rus, what’s up?” Sans asked once they reached a good distance away. Sans could still see the others and he watched as Papyrus, Blue, Red, and Fell began talking amongst themselves. Without thought or notice, Sans’ sockets narrowed as he watched the scene before him.

 

“That, that right there is up.” Rus huffed in annoyance as soon as he saw the angry and displeased look on Sans’ face.

 

“What are you talking about?” Sans quickly snapped his attention back to Rus.

 

“What is with you? All night you’ve been glaring at Red and Professor Fell. Can’t you tell that you’re upsetting Red?” Rus argued while gesturing towards the group.

 

Sans opened his mouth, ready to protest, but slowly closed it and frowned silently.

 

“What’s going on man? This isn’t like you…”

 

Sans continued to stay quiet, unsure how he was supposed to respond.

 

“The second you learned Red and Fell were together you got all weird.” Rus began as he closely watched Sans’ reaction. “Is it… is it because you secretly like Fell or something?” Rus theorized. It was a stretch, but there really wasn’t much to go off of. He was just blindly guessing reasons at this point.

 

“What? No!” Sans scoffed, offended that Rus would even question it.

 

“Then what the hell is it, Sans?” Rus glared. The tone in his voice made it abundantly clear that he wasn’t going to let this drop until Sans gave him an explanation.

 

Sans thought for a second, pondering if he could get away with lying, but one stern look from Rus and Sans knew that his friend would be able to tell anyway. Lying was useless in this situation. With a heavy, defeated sigh, Sans shuffled uncomfortably in place as he ran a hand across his skull. “I’m just worried for Red is all…”

 

“Well you have a shit way of showing it.” Rus shrugged unapologetically. “You’ve spent the whole night making our friend feel like shit. Because you’re what? Worried?”

 

“Rus you don’t understand… Red likes Fell more than a master. But Fell’s never going to give him what he wants! He’s just using Red!” Sans argued.

 

“How do you know that? This is Red’s private life.” Rus rebutted, but his voice had much less vigor in it. What Sans was saying was similar to what Blue said. If this was the case… Sans could be correct in the fact Red would never get anything more than sex out of his relationship with Fell.

 

“I just know, okay.” Sans sighed in annoyance, unsure how to get his reasoning across.

 

“No it’s not okay. None of this is an excuse for how you’ve been treating Red all night.” Rus pushed the subject. 

 

“You just have to trust me. This relationship is going to hurt Red the longer he’s in it.” Sans insisted, his voice getting louder.

 

“How do you know this? How do you know any of this? This isn’t your relationship!” Rus yelled, matching Sans’ pitch.

 

“I know because this is exactly what happened to me last year!” Sans shouted, panting with tears brimming at his sockets.

 

Rus fell silent. His shoulders slumped and he felt all the fight drain out of him. “Sans…” He whispered softly.

 

Sans sighed and lowered his head as he tried to physically hold back his memories from flooding through his thoughts. Those of which would undoubtedly cause him to break down. The smaller skeleton clenched his hands into fists at his sides as he fought back the waves of emotions that threatened to overcome him. Slowly, Sans was able to relax and take a deep breath. He still kept his head low, unable to look Rus in the face. He knew if he looked, Rus would have that look of sadness and remorse, the same one he saw most of his freshman year.

 

It took Sans a few moments to swallow the lump that had formed in his throat before he could speak up, his voice cracked and a whisper. “I don’t want Red to get hurt… I love Red, just like I love you Rus. You guys are my best friends and I don’t want him to go through that… he’s been through enough…”

 

Rus sighed as he rubbed the back of his vertebra, unsure if he should hug Sans, or stay put. He opted to stay still considering Sans’ hands were still in tight fists at his sides. He looked as though he needed his space. “Sans… I know what you went through freshman year was terrible… but this is Red’s life. He has to make his own decisions. And as his friends, it’s not our place to tell him what to do… all we can do is support his decisions, and be there for him if things work out, or if they fail…”

 

Sans stayed still and quiet as he let Rus’ words sink in. He didn’t like it. He wanted to protect his friends. He wanted to shield Red from the pain and heartbreak he was inevitably going to face, but… Rus was right. It wasn’t his place to tell Red how to live his life. Even if he was just concerned for him, it wasn’t right. And he was definitely doing more harm than good right now. Of course Red would be perceptive enough to notice his cold, harsh demeanor towards him and Fell. For crying out loud that was how Red survived in life, was being as observant as possible. He grew up in violent homes where he had to gauge his foster parents emotions to know if he should lay low for a while or if he could stand up to them.

 

Sans let out a heavy sigh before slowly looking up at Rus. “You’re right… I’m sorry…”

 

Rus smiled wearily, knowing all too well Sans soul was in the right place, even if he did go about it all wrong. “Don’t say sorry to me. I’m not the one you should be apologizing to.” Rus nudged his head in the direction of the group.

 

Sans stared at the others for a long while, his eye lights honing in on how close Red stood next to Fell, how he smiled brightly at one of Papyrus’ jokes. Even Fell looked amused enough to crack a rare smile. Red looked comfortable... happy…

 

But he couldn’t. At least not now. If he thought about Red and Fell too much, he’d undoubtedly think about… him. He couldn’t do this. He’d have to wait till he was more composed and his emotions weren’t all over the place. “Not now… I’ll apologize, but not now. I can’t… I just-“

 

“It’s okay Sans.” Rus cut him off in a calm voice. “I understand. And I’m sure Red will too once you tell him. But for now, it’s okay…”

 

Sans nodded and the two slowly made their way back to the group.

 

Papyrus frowned as he watched the two walk up to the group. Papyrus didn’t need to look at Sans to tell the other’s soul was aching. He wanted to immediately comfort Sans, to tell him everything would be okay, but he had to play it cool for now. He’d be able to question Sans once they got home. Regardless if Sans opened up to him or not, he knew he’d be able to help Sans one way or another. He’d keep a close eye on the emotions leaking through their bond to make sure Sans was okay. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what Sans and Rus talked about that had the smaller skeleton so upset.

 

“Ready to go, Paps?” Sans forced a fake lazy grin.

 

Papyrus felt his own smile twitch knowing Sans was hiding his pain for him. Nonetheless, Papyrus nodded and tried to keep positive emotions flowing. Hopefully he could help Sans, even if it was just a little bit. “READY!”

 

Sans placed a gentle hand on Papyrus’ arm and with a *blip* they were gone. 

 

As soon as Sans and Papyrus left, Blue looked at Rus quizzically, cocking his head to the side with a silent question. He could sense something had happened between the two just by the way Rus’ shoulders were slumped.

 

Rus simply smiled softly and shook his head. He knew Blue wanted answers, but he couldn’t talk about it right now. Not in front of Red and Fell.

 

Blue caught the hint and nodded discreetly. “Uh well I guess we’ll be heading home too then.” Blue announced before turning and smiling at Red and Fell. “This was fun, guys! We should definitely hang out again!”

 

“I suppose this was rather entertaining.” Fell admitted as he crossed his arms. He actually had a pretty fun time. Papyrus turned out to be quiet the character. The short time they got to talk he felt like he had met another skeleton who shared in his high standards and love of cooking. Something he thought only him and Blue shared. He wasn’t completely opposed to the idea of hanging out with the others again. For Red’s sake of course.

 

“Y-yeah, definitely. Just l-let us know if you guys ever want us to h-hang out again.” Red felt his face glowing ever so softly as he realized he just referred to him and Fell as ‘us’, as if they were an item. His frame stiffened and he waited anxiously for Fell to glare at him, or scold him, or something.

 

“Red!” Fell shouted.

 

Red flinched and closed his sockets, ready for the reprimand.

 

Instead, he felt Fell’s hands reach behind his head, gently tucking his fur lined hood on his skull and pulling the strings slightly so the hood stayed put. Red stared up with wide sockets, his skull glowing even brighter with a soft crimson blush.

 

“Keep your hood up, you’ll catch a cold.” Fell scolded light-heartedly as he brushed off a few snowflakes from Red’s cheek.

 

It took a moment for Red’s mind to reboot. Before long he was stuttering an apology and looking away shyly.

 

Rus smiled as he watched the two interact. Before he was worried about Red being in a one-sided romantic relationship, but now… he wasn’t so sure that was the case. He could only hope that someday soon Sans saw what he saw. What everyone could see. He hoped it would happen before Sans caused a rift in his and Red’s friendship.

 

“Ready to head home, babe?” Rus turned towards Blue with a knowing smile.

 

Blue nodded and quickly held onto one of Rus’ arms.

 

Before Rus could tap into his magic, he thought he saw a flash from the corner of his eye. He quickly turned his head and looked out at the parking lot and the sea of cars and trucks. Rus blinked in confusion. That’s odd… it looked like the flash from a camera… But there was no one. Just a bunch of empty, parked cars.

 

“Rus?” Blue questioned as he watched his boyfriend stare off at the parking lot.

 

“Sorry, Blue. It’s nothing.” Rus turned back with a smile and with a *blip* they were gone.

 

There was a moment of silence before Fell turned towards Red. “Shall we go home as well?”

 

Red smiled brightly and nodded. It was a nice end to an eventful evening. Minus the odd behavior from Sans, everything between Fell and the others went well. Red was looking forward to taking a warm bath and crawling into bed with his master. He was bound to have a restful night sleep. Red then grabbed hold of Fell’s hand before teleporting them home with their own small *blip*.

 

 

Snow continued to fall across the dark, and eerily quiet night. The parking lot slowly filled with a decent layer of fresh powdery snow piling on cars and exposed roads.

 

After a few minutes of pure silence, the engine to a car suddenly revved to life. With a click, the headlights turned on, and slowly the unmarked white van drove off and out of the parking lot, its wheels crunching on the freshly fallen snow. The unmarked white van continued to drive away from the school till it was out of the city limits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hmm wonder what happened to Doggo... (ﾟ▽ﾟ*)?


	24. Shattered

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for this being so long.  
> It just didn't feel right being broken up. Messed with the pacing.   
> Hope you enjoy! 
> 
> NOTE: Trigger Warning in this chapter

A classical arrangement of new age rock music played cross the empty lab room, its volume just loud enough to drown out any thoughts. Easy enough for one to work seamlessly through the hour. Just the way Red liked it. The small skeleton leaned in closer as he used the soldering tool to meld together some wiring. Red’s steady hands worked with ease as he completed the circuitry that would be the front control panel to their time machine. He could only hope all would go well. For all they knew the machine’s mechanics were completely theoretical and could explode as soon as they turned it on. A lot was riding on those DT experiment journals they found in the storage room at the beginning of the semester.

 

A thought crossed Red’s mind, one he was sure Rus had pondered as well. The notes for the DT experiment lacked significant details about its trial. A good portion of the notes were written in cryptic writing, obvious variables were given code names as to not document the complete truth. There was something incredibly sketchy and ethically questionable about the experiment. The scientist who conducted the experiment didn’t even put their name on it. Red knew the government was weary about experiments on humans, worried about any scandalous news getting out and harming monster kind’s reputation, but it seemed as though the scientist who conducted these experiments knew this would be a scandal ahead of time before even publishing any findings. It was odd and honestly a little suspicious. The DT experiment was a complete mystery. But what was more mysterious was how Sans knew the documents existed. Red remembered sharing a curious look with Rus when Sans had mentioned using Determination as a key component to the time machine, but neither said anything at the time.

 

Red couldn’t tell if it was because of the way Sans had been treating him ever since the football game, or if it was the semester wearing his patience thin, but he suddenly felt like antagonizing his look-alike. He didn’t care if questioning him about his knowledge on the DT experiment made him uncomfortable. Maybe now would be a good time to get answers.

 

Red sighed as soon as the thought came to his head. He regretted it immediately. Sure Sans was being an ass to him, and sure he’d been unfairly cold to him the past few weeks with no explanation…

 

Still, it didn’t matter to Red. Sans was his friend. Whatever was bothering him had to be serious enough for him to treat Red this way. Red knew Sans, and he knew his friend wouldn’t act as such without a good reason.

 

For a moment, Red debated pulling his phone out and calling Sans right then and there to confront the other skeleton. Admittedly it would be much easier than this stupid half silent treatment-half cold shoulder dance they were doing.

 

After a bit of thought, with his phalanges twitching with indecision, Red decided against it. He figured Sans would want some relaxation time after finals. Now wasn’t the best time to bombard the other with questions, or accusations. Red sighed again as he resigned himself to wait just a little longer. Holding off for just a little more couldn’t hurt, right?

 

But right now he could use a break.

 

Just as Red set down the soldering tool on its holster the doors to the lab opened up. Red turned, ready to greet his friends, but froze when he saw Fell standing in the doorway.

 

“Fell? What are you doing here?” Red questioned as he removed his safety goggles.

 

Red obviously wasn’t the monster Fell was expecting to see. The taller skeleton flinched and looked around the room with a lost look. “I was looking for Blue. Normally I walk him over here for lunch, but he didn’t meet me at my office today. He wasn’t in his office either. I assumed he was already here…” Fell pondered as he slowly walked the rest of the way into the room, glancing around at all the science equipment. So, this was Red’s domain. He had to admit, it was intriguing to finally get a look at this other world Red lived in outside of literature.

 

Looking at all the equipment and heavy machinery, Fell couldn’t help but feel slightly intimidated. The feeling only fueled his respect for his Pet. A monster had to be incredibly intelligent in order to navigate such an intense environment. 

 

Red blinked in surprise. “Oh. Well, I haven’t seen Professor Blue, or the guys at all today. Everyone’s been so busy with finals, I figured they all wanted to spend some time… alone, ya know?” Red chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his skull. There was no denying the sexual tension between everyone the last few weeks of school. Who could blame them? Ever since the last game of the football season ended, all students were in finals mode. Everyone was busy cramming and pulling all-nighters for their big tests. They had hardly gotten a chance to see one another, none the less spend quality time with one another. With the three of them combined, there was probably gallons worth of coffee consumed. Even Papyrus wasn’t immune to the finals fatigue. For the first time ever Red saw dark rims under Papyrus’ normally bright and excited sockets. As soon as finals were over, the first thing the couples did was disappear.

 

Red couldn’t help but think about how grateful he was for Fell. Normally finals week was the hardest time for Red. It would nearly send him to the hospital. Living with Doggo meant absolutely no time to study, eat, or rest in peace. Not to mention Doggo would always throw end of the semester parties which somehow were always more rowdy than his normal parties. Those always ended in drunk fights leaving more of the apartment in shambles than normal. It was added stress to an already stressful time. Red had accurately dubbed the time the ‘Hell Week’.

 

“I suppose that makes sense.” Fell stuffed his hands in his pockets as he thought to himself about the past few weeks. He knew finals were a stressful time for students, but he didn’t really see the stress in Red. Other than a few more study sessions than normal, Red seemed fine. Then again, his pet was always on top of homework and his studies. He could only assume the others procrastinated till the last minute while Red had studied the whole semester. The thought caused a small, proud smirk to spread across his sharp teeth. 

 

“So um…”

 

Fell looked over at Red, his pet grabbing his attention.

 

“Are you going back to your office then?” Red looked up, his hands gripping at the sleeves of his lab coat the way they always did when he was nervous.

 

“Hmm, no.” Fell responded casually as he pulled up a stool next to Red and sat down. He rested his sharp cheek against the back of his hand as he watched his pet. “Finals are over, I have no reason to go back to my office. Think I’ll stay here and watch you work.” Fell finished with a cool smirk, admiring the way Red’s skull lit up with a soft crimson glow.

 

After a moment of quiet staring, Fell let out a soft chuckle and waved at the control panel with his other hand. “Well, don’t let me distract you. Get back to work.”

 

Red finally unfroze and shook off his flustered surprise. “Heh, sure thing, Boss.” He teased as he got back to work, enjoying Fell’s company as he continued on with the thesis project, suddenly rejuvenated once more without the need of a break. Fell asked a few questions here and there about Red’s thesis project, and Red would return with questions regarding the end of the semester and how Fell felt his students did. The room suddenly felt warm and relaxing as Red and Fell chatted away while Red proceeded with the wiring. Even though it was the first time Fell had ever joined Red in the science lab, it felt… natural. 

 

Red couldn’t help but wonder what his friends were up to. He could only hope they were having as nice a time as him.

 

_______________________________________

 

Heavy panting and soft needy whines echoed across the tile that lined the locker room. Rows of Blue lockers laid empty, hollowed of their gear as the semester reared its end. The room laid completely bare aside from the two bodies stashed in the back.

 

Sans let loose an embarrassingly high pitched moan as he was roughly shoved against a locker. Immediately, his mouth was claimed by his eager boyfriend. Papyrus supported Sans’ weight in his arms, his own body pressing firmly against the smaller skeleton, pinning Sans to the lockers behind him.

 

As their tongues melded and danced together, eager to taste each other’s magic, Sans couldn’t help but think how amusing the situation was. This was the first time he’d ever been so happy and excited to be shoved against a locker by a jock. Oh how situations change.

 

“What’s so funny?” Papyrus questioned between kisses, his voice low and rough, unable to hide the lust that laced every word.

 

Sans shivered at the sound, his hips reflexively grinding into Papyrus’, happy to find his boyfriend sporting a rather large and hard surprise just for him.

 

“Wait…” Sans suddenly paused out of breath. “Uh, sorry, didn’t mean to laugh…” Did he laugh though? He couldn’t remember. His mind was too foggy. Finals had taken too long. He had spent too much time away from Papyrus, and now he was much more focused on feeling the other skeleton’s magic against his once again.

 

Papyrus mentally smacked himself for slipping up. Of course Sans hadn’t laughed, but had felt something amusing. He had to be careful not to let slip that he could feel all of Sans’ emotions. The more heated they became, the stronger the bond became. The flood gates opened and Papyrus could tell exactly what Sans wanted. And right now Sans wanted him, badly. He was craving for Papyrus to take him hard and rough. And even though they hadn’t had sex too many times, Papyrus couldn’t deny the heat that was driving his normally nervous and tender touches to turn rough and dominant. It was a primal urge he couldn’t push away. It was as if he was feeling both his and Sans’ excitement at the same time.

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Papyrus played it off and bit down on Sans’ clavicle before the smaller skeleton could respond. He had to resist from biting too hard, reminding himself Sans only had one HP. But damn if he didn’t want to litter the smaller skeleton with possessive marks to let the whole world know Sans was his…

 

All his.

 

“Ahhh! Papyrus!” Sans arched into the other, his arms wrapping around Papyrus’ skull to hold him in place. Sans could feel his magic rush up his spine like a charge as soon as Papyrus’ tongue lapped at the sore clavicle. Stars it felt amazing. It was like Papyrus knew exactly what to do to drive him wild. He was surprised to see Papyrus so confident and aggressive, but he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t immensely attractive.

 

Papyrus tried to hold back a low moan. He could feel Sans’ magic through his pants. The smaller skeleton’s soft mound was dripping wet, soaking through his jeans till a dark wet spot began to grow around the crotch. “Sans Sans Sans…” Papyrus repeated his boyfriend’s name like a mantra as he began rocking himself against the other. His cock was so hard it was almost painful. As much as he wanted to take Sans right then and there, and as much as he could feel Sans wanted it too, he still waited for Sans’ consent.

 

Sans panted, his body rocking with Papyrus’ rhythmic thrusts. His eye lights were blown wide and hazed. With every thrust Sans could feel the cloth of his pants rubbing teasingly across his dripping slit and engorged clit. “Papyrus… please, I can’t wait anymore…” Sans’ limbs felt like jello, every inch of bone was burning with desire.

 

“What do you want me to do? Tell me…” Papyrus whispered against Sans’ skull, his voice rough as he tried to hold back his lust, but unable to hide the throaty growl that built up from his chest.

 

Sans let loose a needy whine, his hands balling into fists around Papyrus’ letterman jacket. “Papyrus please… please just fuck me!” Sans punctuated his plea with a harsh thrust of his hips, grinding himself against Papyrus’ strained cock.

 

Papyrus released a relieved groan. Sans was asking for it, there was no holding back now.

 

With more skill and finesse than Papyrus thought possible, the taller skeleton unzipped and removed Sans’ pants. His fingers immediately sought out his boyfriend’s wet entrance, groaning as two of his fingers slipped in with ease. He could feel Sans flutter around him, his magic dripping and ready to go. Still, Papyrus wanted to prep Sans properly. He wanted Sans to scream his name in pleasure, not in pain.

 

“Oh f-fuck, Papyrus…” Sans lifted his hand to his face, covering his mouth in a feeble attempt to hide the array of moans that shot out as soon as Papyrus began fingering his tight entrance. The locker room was empty, and the tiled walls amplified every sound inside. All Sans could hear was his moans, Papyrus’ heavy panting, and the slick squelches his own dripping pussy made as Papyrus began pistoning his needy slit.

 

“Don’t hide your noises. I want to hear you.” Papyrus commanded as he stared Sans in the eyes lights. He could feel a shiver run up his spine as Sans obeyed his order, pulling his small skeletal hand away and locking gazes as he freely panted and moaned in need.

 

Watching and hearing Sans completely submit to him drove Papyrus over the edge. He added a third finger and began pumping Sans’ pussy faster. His long, slender fingers curled, rubbing that deep, sweet spot that had Sans screaming his name. “Sans, you’re so wet… you’re pulling my fingers in deeper… are you close?” Papyrus asked between groans. Listening to Sans was just as intoxicating as fucking him.

 

Sans panted and moaned without restraint. Tears of pleasure gathered at the corners of his sockets as he tried to keep from cumming so quickly. “P-paps, I can’t… ahh! I can’t hold it much longer! I’m close!”

 

With a knowing smile, Papyrus pulled his fingers out with a satisfying *pop*. He slowly pulled up his hand that had just been deep inside his boyfriend, lifting his fingers to his skull as he let his long orange tongue slip out and taste Sans’ juices. He watched with a heated gaze as Sans’ face began glowing a bright, beautiful blue hue.

 

“As much as I’d love to have you cumming for hours on end, I know this place isn’t the most private…” Papyrus noticed the small hitch in Sans’ panting. He could tell the thrill of getting caught edged the smaller skeleton on further. While he was all for pleasuring his boyfriend every way possible, he wasn’t keen on letting anyone see Sans’ body other than him. “So in that in case, I’ll make sure your orgasm is as big as three…” Papyrus promised, a spark of magic coming to life in his right eye socket.

 

Sans let out a surprised and needy whine at Papyrus’ words. He couldn’t believe his eyes. It felt like a dream. He had no idea that with just a little exposure, Papyrus would become down right seductive. The naive, innocent skeleton he’d grown to know was nowhere to be found. 

 

Papyrus leaned in and captured Sans’ mouth in a deep, passionate kiss. Their teeth immediately parted to let way for their tongues to entwine. Papyrus kept Sans attention on the kiss as he stealthily unzipped his pants and freed his neglected, throbbing cock.

 

Sans rolled his skull back and let out a surprised moan as soon as he felt Papyrus’ cock rub freely against his soft pussy lips. He could hear a few drips patter on the locker room floor, his pussy literally dripping with need at the anticipation of what was to come.

 

“You ready Sans? Ready for me to fuck you..?”

 

Sans felt his magic flare hearing Papyrus talk like that, arousal shooting straight to the magic between his legs. But before he could even respond, Sans felt his boyfriend slipping inside him, hilting himself to the base in one go. Sans couldn’t do anything except keen as he was filled to the brim with Papyrus’ magic. He wasn’t sure what got into Papyrus, but he was too turned on to care.

 

Papyrus waited till he felt Sans buck against him. Knowing his boyfriend was ready, Papyrus let loose and began thrusting into the smaller skeleton in earnest. He blew past slow and steady and went straight to pounding into Sans roughly.

 

“Ahh! Papyrus Papyrus, fuck Papyrus!” Sans babbled as he was fucked roughly against the lockers.

 

Papyrus’ heated gaze traveled to their connected magic, watching Sans’ tight, warm pussy swallow his cock. He could see the orange glow of his member through Sans’ translucent magic. He watched every ripple of Sans’ pussy as his walls tightened around him, pulling him deeper into his boyfriend’s magic. 

 

Papyrus panted heavily as he held back his own building orgasm, wanting to draw out Sans’ pleasure as much as possible. Papyrus’ fist slammed into the locker next to Sans’ head as he tried to control the building and burning pleasure traveling to his cock, startling the small skeleton in the process. Papyrus groaned as he felt Sans’ pussy tighten around him so suddenly.

 

“Pap paps paps oh f-fuck, please…” Sans felt tears slip past his sockets. His body rocked roughly against the locker, a fast rhythmic pounding as Papyrus’ cock pumped into him in earnest.

 

“Mine…” Papyrus whispered next to Sans’ skull as he thrusted into the smaller skeleton pinned under him. “Mine…”

 

Sans gasped, a spark of magic shooting up his spine.

 

He was Papyrus’.

 

He wanted to respond back, but all he could managed was a strangled moan as Papyrus’ cock plunged even deeper. It was too much. He’d been building up and riding the edge for too long. He couldn’t hold back anymore.

 

“Papyrus! I can’t… fuck, I’m gonna- I’m gonna cum…” Sans clawed at Papyrus’ jacket, pulling the taller skeleton as close to him as possible. He didn’t know why, but even with Papyrus literally buried inside him, he felt like Papyrus wasn’t close enough…

 

“Sans… me too… I’m going to cum, I’m going to fill you up!” Papyrus picked up speed, his thrusting becoming more erratic as he finally let himself climb over the edge. Sans’ pussy was perfect. It was so warm and tight. It’s like the other skeleton was made for him.

 

Papyrus felt Sans’ pussy flutter before he heard Sans cry out his name, his small frame arching off the lockers as his arms and legs wrapped around him, holding Papyrus in place buried inside him. “SANS!” Papyrus shouted as he felt himself release inside the other, his cum shooting deep inside Sans’ magic. Papyrus panted and watched as stream after stream continued to fill Sans’ translucent blue pussy. A small pouch of magic forming just to hold all the excess cum.

 

Sans let tears of pleasure freely fall as his orgasm continued. He couldn’t understand why, he felt like he was still cumming. The pressure of Papyrus’ release was keeping his high going, keeping him from fully coming down. “Papyrus…” Sans cried weakly, burying his skull into his boyfriend’s shoulder as his body shook with yet another orgasm.

 

Papyrus groaned feeling Sans tighten around him once more, milking him completely of his cum. He could tell he had overdone it. He knew somewhere in the middle of their coitus that he had begun projecting his pleasure through their bond. He wanted to make sure Sans felt good, but he might have made him feel too good…

 

“Sans… you alright?” Papyrus asked softly as soon as he felt Sans’ body go limp.

 

“Uh-huhh…” Sans groaned weakly, his voice hoarse from screaming so much.

 

Papyrus ran a quick check over his small boyfriend, happy to see his stats weren’t affected. Just his stamina. Papyrus smiled, relieved that he didn’t get too carried away. “Shh… relax now. You did great, Sans.” Papyrus praised as he stroked Sans’ scapula softly. The taller skeleton’s smile widened when he was rewarded a weak skull nuzzle in return.

 

“What do you say we get cleaned up with a nice hot shower?” Papyrus offered.

 

The jock skeleton chuckled when Sans gave a shaky thumbs up in response.

 

That was okay. He would take care of Sans. Today was a perfect end to the end of the semester.

 

______________________________________

 

The doors to the lab opened causing Red and Fell to stop their chatter and look towards their new guests.

 

Blue and Rus froze inside as soon as they Spotted Fell.

 

Rus could feel his boyfriend stiffen while holding onto his arm, the smaller skeleton’s hand clenching reflexively onto the sleeve of his hoodie. The action was enough to cause Rus to take note.

 

Rus wasn’t completely sure what Fell and Blue’s past was like. It was a subject Rus had given little thought to. When he had learned that Blue and Fell had dated in the past, Rus was immediately overcome with fear and jealousy. He did his best to hide his emotions in the moment knowing Blue was his own monster and able to be friends with whomever he desired. It was difficult for Rus not to assume the worst. Sure Blue had proven his loyalty and love. Rus couldn’t ignore that.

 

Still… there was that gnawing feeling in the depths of Rus’ soul…

 

Blue said he and Fell were best friends now, nothing more, but Rus could always feel the tension whenever Fell was nearby. A piece of Rus, no matter how hard he tried to will away, persisted and continued to worry that maybe, just maybe Blue wasn’t completely over Fell. Rus fell back to his default behavior, guarded and impassive, in order to hide his secret anxiety. Rus did his best not to think about it. If he did, he was sure he would spiral. After all it wouldn’t be the first time someone he loved cheated on him with an ex.

 

Stealthily, inside the pocket of his hoodie, Rus’ fist clenched harder.

 

He was torn. Half of Rus feared that the past would repeat itself, while the other half trusted his loving boyfriend and fought to let go of past baggage.

 

‘Just don’t think about it’, Rus chanted in his mind. It’s all he could really do.

 

“Fell? What are you doing here?” Blue was quick to wipe the shock from his face and replace it with hope. If Fell was here, then maybe… he wanted to hang out with them now!?

 

This was it!

 

This was Blue’s dream come true!

 

To have his best friend and his boyfriend be friends, and all spend time together. Everything was falling into place! Blue had to restrain his excitement knowing his magic would give away his emotions, especially with his eye lights.

 

“I came here looking for you.” Fell glowered while crossing his arms.

 

Rus’ jaw clenched ever so slightly.

 

“You didn’t stop by my office like usual, so I came looking for you. Come to find you completely bailed on me without as much as a text.” Fell glared as he finished. Blue was a lot of things, but rude was not one of them. It was one of the few traits they had in common. Fell expected his friend to at least have the decency to text him if he was going to cancel on their usual plans.

 

Blue flinched and his skull began to glow a bright cyan. Crap! He forgot about Fell and their usual stroll to the lab. He had been so excited to finally spend some time with Rus that they had popped home for… ‘romantic solitude’ without a second thought. Blue’s blush brightened as he remembered vaguely hearing his phone vibrate, but instead of answering it…

 

Let’s just say Blue had discovered Rus could be very creative in bed when need be. Blue could only think how thankful he was that his phone was water proof. It definitely needed to be cleaned after Rus’ impromptu vibrator technique…

 

Blue’s face was brighter than a homing beacon at this point. Memories of heated moments and passionate kisses were all he could think about. He couldn’t look Fell in the face. The small skeleton slowly scooted behind Rus, tugging on the other’s hoodie to hide his face and embarrassment. “Sorry… we lost track of time...”

 

Rus couldn’t help but smirk victoriously at that. Okay, maybe he was being a little petulant, but the small victories made him feel a little better. Rus raised a gentle hand to pet his boyfriend’s skull affectionately. He was happy to see Blue respond positively, relaxing just a little bit from his embarrassment. 

 

Fell caught on immediately to what Blue had insinuated. He could feel his socket twitch in annoyance. Now he had the image of Blue and Rus fucking in his head. Disgusting! The taller professor sighed and shook his head. “For heaven sakes, Blue.”

 

Red couldn’t suppress a small giggle from escaping. He felt bad for Blue, he really did. But he was glad it happened. Blue’s little romantic excursion gave him some quality time with Fell, which was always appreciated.

 

“Why don’t I make it up to you? We can go out!” Blue quirked up, guilt gnawing at him for blowing Fell off, for sex no less. Stars, he was a better friend than that. How could he...

 

Fell’s shoulders stiffened at the invitation. Sure he was giving Blue a hard time, but truthfully, he just wanted to spend time with his pet at home. Sure Red hadn’t been all that absent during finals week, but he still wanted to celebrate a semester well done with his student, while he could still call the other skeleton his student...

 

Blue blinked as he noticed the way Fell stiffened and his eye lights roamed over to Red. He could tell Fell wanted to decline, mostly because he wanted to spend time with Red. Blue huffed softly, making sure it was soft enough as to not catch Fell’s attention.

 

There it was again, that uncomfortable feeling. His best friend blowing him off for his pet. Sure Blue had just done the same with his boyfriend, but at least he didn’t do it all the time like Fell. The whole reason Fell started walking Blue to lunch was to make up for all the time he had been missing with him. No longer did the two go grocery shopping, or clothe shopping, or grade papers together. Sure they both had someone special in their lives, but did that mean they suddenly had to completely ignore their friends?

 

Rus noticed the sad and annoyed huff from the smaller skeleton beside him. He could tell Fell wanted to decline as well, and he knew it would upset Blue… Rus felt his own disappointment swell thinking about Blue and Fell. He wanted to feel smug, he wanted to feel as if he’d won another small victory. But… he knew how important Fell was to Blue. And he couldn’t stand seeing his boyfriend upset. He loved Blue too much to let his jealousy outweigh Blue’s happiness.

 

Rus suddenly cleared his throat, catching the group’s attention. “Hey, how about, I dunno just throwing this idea out there, we all go out together. Make it a group thing?” Rus offered while giving a lazy grin.

 

Red perked up, his sockets widening in hope. Their last outing together left a lot to be desired. It wasn’t a complete fail, but thanks to Sans’ sudden attitude, it did make things awkward. It would be nice to have another outing. Give hanging out with Fell and his friends another chance.

 

Fell noticed the way Red perked up, his eye lights practically shimmering. Fell almost gawked at the sight if it wasn’t for his rigid composure. He couldn’t tell if that was another trick Blue was teaching his pet, or if it was something Red’s magic could do naturally. Either way, he’d never seen his pet so excited before. How could he possibly deny the offer now?

 

Carefully, Fell lifted a hand to his teeth and coughed discreetly, doing his best to hide his own flush after seeing his pet look so damn cute before speaking up. “I suppose that would be alright.”

 

Blue quickly lit up, his eye lights morphing to stars. “Oh my… REALLY!? OH BOY! THIS IS GOING TO BE SO MUCH FUN!”

 

Rus smiled seeing how happy Blue was. He huffed softly, deciding this was for the best. Blue got to hang out with Fell. Fell got to hand out with Red. And Rus could just hang out…

 

Although, Rus couldn’t help but feel like he was some weird forth wheel to some complicated love triangle…

 

“Wait, shouldn’t we invite Sans and Papyrus as well?” Blue spoke up quickly amidst the excitement, halting the room in its tracks.

 

Red felt his whole frame stiffen and he did his best to keep his expression unchanged. He loved Sans and Papyrus. He really did. And he had no qualms with Papyrus what so ever. It was just… Red knew Sans and Papyrus were a packaged deal. There was no way one would go without the other, and Red wasn’t too sure he wanted another incident like the football game...

 

“I’ll give them a call.” Rus offered as he pulled out his phone, dialing Papyrus’ number. He knew things would be tense with Sans and Red, but Sans promised him at the football game he’d apologize to Red. Sans still needed to make good on his promise. Maybe he could find some way to get the two alone while they were out? Rus was determined to fix whatever rift had formed between his friends. It was odd seeing the two so cold to one another. Things needed to be mended, now. 

 

____________________________

 

The steady stream of warm water from the shower continued to poor in the stall closest to the back. A thick cloud of steam wafted around the locker room, fogging up mirrors with condensation. It was calm and quiet. Almost therapeutic with the patters of the shower filling the empty space.

 

Papyrus pulled back the curtain to the shared shower as he wrapped a towel around his bare and now clean pelvis. The taller skeleton smiled as he looked back over at Sans who stayed under the warm spray. He watched as Sans let the heat from the shower relax his stressed bones, tilting his skull back and sighing contently.

 

“Would you like to stay for a little while longer?” Papyrus asked with an amused chuckle, unable to suppress his magic warming his skull as he admired Sans’ bones.

 

“Yeah, I’ll be out in a little bit… Just five more minutes?” Sans turned and gave Papyrus his best pleading eyes, his own skull glowing ever so softly with the color of his own magic.

 

Papyrus felt his cheeks flush even brighter. How could he possibly deny Sans? “Five minutes. Then we head home for some warm spaghetti and bed.”

 

Sans’ smile spread to his eye lights and he nodded contently. 

 

With that, Papyrus pulled back the curtain giving Sans some privacy as he made his way to his locker. The jock skeleton gave a relaxing sigh as he began emptying out its contents, diligently folding and putting away his uniform and gear.

 

It all seemed so official now. It was the end of his first semester at MSU. The football season was over, and so was his time with the team. At least for now.

 

Papyrus couldn’t help but think back on the events that transpired over the months. From meeting Sans, to learning how to cook, to winning the first ever football championship… Papyrus felt as though coming to MSU was the best decision he had ever made.

 

Papyrus was beyond happy. He was thankful for all the opportunities that got him his scholarship. He wasn’t going to lie, it was a challenging road. Many restless evenings training his stamina all the while studying the best he could. It was exhausting, but after seeing the payoff, it was well worth it.

 

Even though the semester was over, which felt like a monumental moment, it was hard to fully soak in the feeling as the next semester already felt like it was looming over the horizon.

 

Papyrus paused as he finished packing up his duffle bag. He couldn’t help but wonder what the next semester had in store for him and Sans. As much as he hated to admit it, he was sure things would change. They wouldn’t be in the same culinary class. Sans would undoubtedly have more classes, making him busy, as would he. Papyrus’ smile wavered at these revelations. He wondered how the changes would affect his and Sans’ relationship…

 

Just as Papyrus fished out his clothes from his bag, he heard the sound of the locker room doors opening.

 

That was odd. All the athletes had emptied out their lockers. Papyrus was the last one to do so. The team even teased him about it earlier that day. No other student had any reason to come into the locker room. Unless…

 

They were specifically looking for Papyrus.

 

Immediately Papyrus stiffened, looking over towards Sans’ shower. There was no movement, Sans was still soaking under the warm water unaware of their company.

 

Swiftly, before any jocks could walk in on the other skeleton, Papyrus walked around the corner to confront the visitor. 

 

Papyrus’ sockets narrowed ever so slightly as he came face to face with Chad. He was glad it wasn’t Doggo, but… Chad wasn’t far off on his list of most disliked team members. Papyrus could still remember the way Chad had so casually wrapped his arm around Sans during the Halloween party. Sure he wanted Sans to make friends with his teammates, but there was just something about the way Chad acted towards Sans that didn’t sit well with the jock skeleton. It set Papyrus on guard and stirred unpleasant emotions through his soul. 

 

“Hey there Papyrus. Figured I’d find you here.” Chad commented casually as he strolled in, his paws tucked away in his letterman jacket.

 

“You were looking for me?” Papyrus half way asked, half way stated. He tried to keep Chad’s attention on him so he wouldn’t notice the shower running behind him and question who else might be here. It wasn’t that Sans wasn’t allowed in the locker room, it was just Papyrus would prefer if Chad not see Sans’ bare, wet bones fresh out the shower. Ever since becoming official boyfriends, Papyrus had only become more protective of the smaller skeleton. He was sure their partial bond also had something to do with his more protective feelings, but that was a topic for him to ponder later.

 

“I was actually. I was told to come find you. Today’s the day the team is going to celebrate.” Chad smiled and pulled out his right paw, examining the school’s championship ring. Papyrus had one as well, but he preferred to keep his ring safe in its glass case back in his room. Skeleton fingers weren’t the best for jewelry. “Our big victory against Ebott University and the end of the semester!” Chad finished with a big toothy grin. Papyrus couldn’t tell if Chad was thinking something significantly amusing, or if his big grin was just how dog monsters smiled.

 

“Celebrating? Today?” Papyrus asked. It was rather short notice. Extremely short notice. He was expecting his freshman friends to let him know when the party was, not the seniors.

 

“Of course! When else can we do it? Everyone’s going home for the holiday after today. Got to go out with a bang!” Chad closed one eye and mimicked a gun, shooting Papyrus with his finger.

 

Papyrus frowned and looked around as if taking stock of his plans for the evening. “But… I need time to invite my friends. I told them they would be celebrating too.” At the time of inviting his friends, Papyrus was full of adrenaline from winning the game. He felt like he could take on the world when he promised his friends all of them would be invited to the end of the semester party, no questions asked. But now… as he stood standing guard for Sans, naked otherwise for his towel, Papyrus didn’t feel so invincible…

 

“Bro, this is a football team party. No nerds allowed.” Chad frowned.

 

Papyrus’ sockets narrowed as he stared Chad down. That’s right, the seniors still referred to Sans and the others as nerds, unlike his freshman teammates who weren’t so rude. Stars how could Chad even demand this? He helped win the game. He deserved to take his friends to the party.

 

Chad noticed the shift in Papyrus’ demeanor and the glare in his sockets. The dog monster sighed and raised his paws in a playacting manor. “Obviously Sans can come. Now that you guys are a thing, it would be a dick move not to let him hang. Plus… the team kind of likes him. But no one else.” Chad finished, almost like it was an order.

 

“Thank you for the invitation, but no thanks. Either my friends come, or I don’t.” Papyrus stood his ground.

 

Chad clicked his tongue in annoyance at Papyrus’ sudden confidence. The freshman had balls, he’d give him that. “Listen Papyrus, I’m just the messenger. And I’m trying to help you.”

 

“I really don’t see how this is ‘helping’.” Papyrus crossed his arms.

 

Chad stared at Papyrus for a while before finally slumping his shoulders with a defeated sigh. “I didn’t want to have to explain this… but you gave me no choice.” Chad stood straight, staring Papyrus in the eyes. His shift in demeanor was enough to show this was a serious matter. All joking and playfulness was gone.

 

“Papyrus, you stole Doggo’s big moment.”

 

Papyrus flinched at the mention of Doggo, but otherwise held firm. “I did no such thing! If Doggo wanted that victory, he would have shown up to the game!” Papyrus did his best to keep his voice subdued. He didn’t want to alert Sans.

 

“You think he didn’t show by choice?” Chad responded, almost angrily, but was quick to keep his emotions in check. “I can’t go into detail why he didn’t show, it’s not my story to tell. But regardless what you say Papyrus, every graduating senior is going to look at you as the freshman who stole the glory they worked for.”

 

Papyrus felt a nervous sweat begin to build on his skull. As much as he hated to admit it, Chad was right. Papyrus knew his senior teammates well enough that no amount of talking or explaining would ever make them change their minds once they were set on something. If the seniors saw him as the freshman who stole the win from Doggo, there was no reasoning with them… No matter how absurd it sounded…

 

“This is what I mean when I say I’m trying to help. I’m trying to do damage control. Doggo doesn’t feel like you stole his glory. Hell, he’s grateful for you! You manned up and helped lead the team to victory when they needed you the most! And because of it, we finally won a championship!” Chad explained.

 

Papyrus’ sockets widened in shock.

 

Was this true? Was Doggo really grateful for him filling his spot in his absence?

 

Papyrus thought over Chad’s words with uncertainty. Everything he’d seen, or heard about Doggo would have suggested the senior quarterback be furious with him. Had he really pegged Doggo all wrong this whole time?

 

“Doggo sent me to invite you personally. He knows how hot headed the team can get. He’s worried about you and he wants to help clear things up. If you two show up at the party together, it will show the guys there’s no bad blood.” Chad reasoned, smiling softly, hoping Papyrus understood.

 

“Really?” Papyrus questioned, his firm stance faltering as his arms lowered to his sides.

 

“Yes really.” Chad sighed and stepped forward, placing a paw on his teammates shoulder. “Papyrus, if you don’t do this… the team is going to eat you alive. They’ll hate you forever. They’ll make your life hell! They… they may even go after Sans in revenge…” Chad warned, his ears lowering as he stared at Papyrus hoping to convey just how serious the situation was.

 

Papyrus flinched, his soul pinging in distress.

 

What?!

 

They wouldn’t… would they?

 

Would his team really go after Sans and possibly hurt his boyfriend just because he helped win them the game? All because Doggo didn’t show? It was… ridiculous! How could they possibly think this way!

 

Papyrus’ eyes focused on the ground as his soul pounded rapidly at possibility. He knew his teammates were rowdy. They could be aggressive and mean. He knew they got away with much more than they should simply because they were the school’s star athletes. They bullied students and made their lives hell. They’ve targeted Sans and his friends before… The seniors were set to graduate, but that was at the end of the year. They still had half a year to go. Would they really hurt or bully Sans in that time?

 

Papyrus’ soul continued to pound in distress.

 

Would they hurt Sans?

 

Would he even risk the possibility…?

 

Papyrus flinched as realization dawned on him.

 

No, there’s no way he’d even risk it. If there was even a small possibility that Sans could be in danger, Papyrus would do anything to protect him.

 

Even if it meant going along with Doggo’s plan.

 

After a long moment of dreaded contemplation, Papyrus finally sighed and looked up from the ground towards Chad. With a defeated look, Papyrus slowly nodded his skull. “All right… I’ll go…”

 

“Without the others?” Chad asked in clarification.

 

“Without the others…” Papyrus whispered, his soul aching with from situation he was stuck in.

 

“Good. Now remember, you have to show up with Doggo. There will be a big show about passing the torch to the new quarterback and all that crap, so that means Sans will have to come to the party by himself.”

 

“What?!” Papyrus stiffened.

 

“Don’t worry! Some of the guys have really taken a liking to him. Not to mention I’ll be there. We’ll keep him safe till you get to the party. I promise, Papyrus.” Chad tried to smile as reassuringly as possible.

 

Papyrus frowned. That didn’t make him feel any better. If anything he was even more worried. The jock skeleton sighed, thinking over his options.

 

There really was none. He had to do this. He had to show the seniors that he and Doggo were not on bad terms. He had to placate their misdirected anger, or else Sans could be in danger...

 

Before Papyrus could stress further over the situation, the squeaky sound of the shower nozzle turning tore Papyrus’ attention back to Sans.

 

Oh no! He forgot Sans was still in the shower.

 

“Papyrus? Are you okay?” Sans asked as he pulled the curtain back and stepped out of the shower.

 

“SANS WAIT!” Papyrus tried to stop his boyfriend but it was too late.

 

Sans froze as he locked eyes with Chad. Instantly, he felt his soul freeze in embarrassment. His skull lit up a deep shade of blue and he quickly tore at the shower curtain to wrap himself in. “Shit! Uh... sorry!” Sans wasn’t sure why he was apologizing, but he was too embarrassed to do anything else. The small skeleton shut his sockets tight and willed himself to disappear. How embarrassing was it to get caught having after sex showers with your boyfriend. By a jock no less.

 

“Oh uh- heh, sorry to have interrupted you two.” Chad smirked knowingly. “I guess I’ll be on my way.” With that Chad turned and headed towards the exit. He paused after a few steps, standing still for a moment, until he turned his head to look back at Papyrus. “Your boyfriend’s got a nice set of bones on them. Bet they’re delicious…” Chad whispered so only Papyrus could hear.

 

Papyrus’ sockets narrowed and he felt a protective flame burn through his marrow. His magic ignite in his socket, but before he could say anything, Chad was already gone and out the door.

 

After a few moments of tense and awkward silence, small rustling broke through the still air, catching Papyrus’ attention. The tall skeleton dispelled his magic and turned to see Sans tightly wrapping a towel around his lithe frame, his skull still burning in indignation.

 

“Sorry Paps… I didn’t know…” Sans whispered shyly. He didn’t know why, but he could tell that Papyrus was upset. Maybe not at him, but he still felt responsible for his boyfriend’s sudden sour mood.

 

“NO NO SANS! IT’S ALRIGHT! YOU HAVE NO REASON TO APOLOGIZE! I SHOULD HAVE SENT CHAD AWAY SOONER…” Papyrus admitted regretfully.

 

“So… what did he want?” Sans asked as he stepped forward.

 

Papyrus was silent for a while before forcing what he hoped would be a convincing smile on his face. “OH! HE WAS JUST INVITING US TO THE END OF THE SEMESTER PARTY! IT’S TONIGHT!”

 

Sans blinked in both shock and confusion. “Wow that’s… really short notice. Well, I guess we’ll have to take a rain check on that spaghetti.” Sans chuckled and headed towards the other side of the locker room where his clothes were. “You should let the others know, hopefully we still have enough time to all meet up.” Sans partially shouted to still be heard as he began re-dressing.

 

Normally Sans wouldn’t care for jock parties, but this party was specifically for Papyrus and celebrating the team on their big win. So of course he’d gladly re-arrange their schedule to go. Sans wanted to support Papyrus and let his boyfriend know how proud he was of him. 

 

Papyrus sighed as he rested his skull against his own locker. How was he supposed to handle this situation? Should he tell Sans what Chad warned him? Should he even bother letting the others know the party was tonight if they weren’t even allowed to come? How was he supposed to keep Sans safe through all this?

 

What should he do?

 

Almost as if the universe was playing a cruel cosmic joke, Papyrus’ phone began to vibrate, with none other than the picture of Rus lighting up on his caller ID.

 

Papyrus stared at his phone forebodingly, cursing the world in that moment, before reluctantly picking the device up and tapping ‘answer’.

 

“Hello?” Papyrus was sure to keep his voice down as to keep from alerting Sans.

 

“Hey Papyrus. So Blue, Red, and professor Fell wanted to all hang out tonight. You know, have another big get together. We were wondering if you and Sans would like to join us?”

 

Papyrus could feel a knot swell in his non-existent throat. Really? Now of all nights? Stars was the universe trying to punish him for what he was about to do… 

 

“Papyrus?” Rus questioned when there was no response.

 

Papyrus was quick to snap out of it and clear his throat. “Uh well about that…” He paused, scrambling to come up with an excuse. If he told Rus about the party he’d have to explain why they were suddenly uninvited. If Rus knew that the team might got after Sans because of this whole debacle, there’d be no way Rus wouldn’t retaliate. Papyrus knew the school protected the athletes over the other students. If Rus were to attack them, or try to report them, the school might just turn on Rus instead!

 

“Papyrus you ther-“

 

“We have a thing. Uh… a date thing. We planned it a while ago and unfortunately we cannot reschedule.” Papyrus found himself lying before he could even close his mouth.

 

“Oh… well that’s unfortunate. Uh, but I guess you two have fun on your date.”

 

“Yes… we will…” Papyrus couldn’t keep this sadness and disappointment from his voice. His soul gripped with disgust. Disgust in himself for using Sans and their relationship in his lie. Disgust in keeping such a big secret from his friends. Disgust with himself over all of it…

 

But it was all he could do… he had to protect Sans and his friends…

 

But the regret was still there. Papyrus had never felt more powerless than he did in that moment.

 

“I guess we’ll just try to all hang some other time…?” Rus’ voice sounded off, but Papyrus didn’t have time to dwell on it.

 

“Yes, another time. Got to go.” Before Rus could say more, Papyrus hung up the call.

 

The jock skeleton stared down at his now blank phone in deep regret.

 

What had he gotten himself into…

 

_____________________________

 

Rus paused as the line went dead. He couldn’t exactly put his finger on it, but something in the way Papyrus spoke seemed… off.

 

“Well? What they say?” Blue asked while tugging lightly on Rus’ sleeve.

 

Rus quickly put his phone away and turned to the rest of the group. With an apologetic smile and lazy shrug he spoke, “They said they can’t come. They have plans of their own that are non-refundable, so they say sorry and promise to come next time.”

 

“Aww okay…” Blue pouted ever so slightly as he looked down. He loved hanging out with Papyrus and was a little disappointed to hear he wouldn’t be with them this evening. He was sure with the help of Papyrus, the evening would be much more comfortable. Blue had caught on to how well Fell responded to Papyrus, he could tell the other professor was just as fond of the student as he was. After all, the three of them had a lot in common.

 

Then again… Blue knew that if Papyrus came, so would Sans. And there was no denying the lingering tension between Sans and Red. Blue looked up at Red, watching as Fell’s student stood closely and comfortably next to Fell. He supposed this was for the best. Blue knew that Fell was mostly concerned about Red right now. He would surely catch onto the cold treatment Sans would undoubtedly give Red. If Fell was to actually pay attention to Rus and possibly grow a friendship with his boyfriend, he couldn’t be worrying about Red the whole night. 

 

“So… what will we be doing?” Red asked, a little more relaxed now that he wouldn’t have to worry about Sans causing tension for the night.

 

He reminded himself to call Sans later. They still needed to talk.

 

“MWEHEHE! JUST LEAVE THE PLANNING UP TO ME! EVERYONE, WE’LL MEET UP AT THE UNIVERSITY SQUARE IN 3 HOURS!” Blue exclaimed while placing his fists on his hips, a move inspired by Papyrus. The spirit of his friend would help him through the evening. This was going to be great! Nothing was going to stand in the way of operation ‘Get Fell and Rus to Become Friends’. Blue had a surefire plan.

 

__________________________________________

 

Heavy base pounded the walls, music blasting almost as loud as a professional sound system. Both jocks and cheerleaders alike jumped to the beat of the music, drunken movements sending red solo cups of beer flying and staining the already sticky floors with a fresh layer of filth. Sans did his best to navigate through the sweaty bodies as he made his way through Red’s old apartment. The small skeleton sighed in relief as he made it towards the back near the patio. Precious fresh air filled his non-existent lungs whereas before they were clouded with a heavy film of cigarette and weed smoke.

 

Sans leaned over the railing and took in much needed deep breaths. He didn’t even mind that his magic stung with the sharp, cold winter air. He was just glad to have some room to breathe.

 

After a few moments, Sans was able to clear his head, and boy was he conflicted. He couldn’t believe it. Here he was yet again at another jock party waiting for Papyrus to show up. At least this time Sans was a lot less upset about everything. The small skeleton sighed as he recalled his conversation with Papyrus in the locker room. Supposedly Rus and Red had a “thing” tonight with professors Blue and Fell. Given that their options would have been either hang out with Red and Red’s manipulative sex master, or go to the jock party, Sans was suddenly a lot more comfortable with being surrounded by a bunch of dumb drunk jocks.

 

The thought, as honest as it was, still made Sans’ soul pinch with a wave of regret.

 

He still hadn’t apologized, or talked to Red. Sans knew he had been beyond unreasonable to his friend, and he knew Red deserved better from him, it was just… hard for Sans to put his emotions into words. He didn’t do well with opening up. Lying and making jokes were always easier. Sans could only hope that Red would understand once he finally mustered up the courage to apologize.

 

Sans let out another long sigh as he rested his cheek against the railing. He wished Papyrus was here, he would know what to say to cheer him up. Sans understood the reason Papyrus had to show late. Dumb jocks and their “passing of the torch” tradition. At least after this party Sans wouldn’t have to worry about the football team hating Papyrus for dating him. With Papyrus as their new quarterback, the others would have to respect him, right? That’s how these things worked. Jock hierarchy and all that.

 

“Hey there little man.”

 

Sans looked up and watched as Chad strode over to his side, joining him out on the balcony. “Oh hey, Chad.” Sans smiled. Chad was one of the few senior athletes that he got along with. It made him feel a little better to have a familiar face at the party. 

 

“You look down. Something on your mind?” Chad asked as he leaned over the railing. He handed Sans a cup, freshly filled with a new beer.

 

Sans huffed as he thought about his behavior towards Red. “You can say that…” He responded, taking the cup gratefully and chugging its contents. He drank quicker than he would have liked, but he wanted to get drunk as fast as possible.

 

“Wana talk about it?” Chad asked quietly, giving Sans his best reassuring smile.

 

Sans’ smile widened ever so slightly. Chad was different from all the other jocks. He was a lot like Papyrus in that sense. He was kind and considerate, at least to Sans. Even though Sans didn’t know Chad very well, he couldn’t help but feel comfortable around the canine. “I uh… I think I did something bad. Actually, I know I did something bad, to a best friend no less… and I don’t know how to tell them I’m sorry…” Sans admitted softly, his eye lights searching over the university buildings as his mind wondered. After finishing off the cup, Sans began absentmindedly rubbing his thumbs across the cup’s ribs on the side. 

 

Chad watched Sans closely before looking out at the school grounds as well. “Hmm that’s tough, dude.”

 

Sans nodded quietly.

 

“You know Sans… friendships are complicated… Sometimes people do the wrong thing to the ones they care about. And more times than not, they do it with the best intentions, but it… just doesn’t always work out that way…” Chad continued to look out in the distance, his voice soft and sincere.

 

Sans looked over at Chad, studying the dog monster closely. He couldn’t help but feel as though Chad was talking from personal experience.

 

Chad’s words hit close to home… He didn’t mean to hurt Red, he had the best intentions for his friend. He just wanted to keep Red safe, but in the end, he had only hurt Red further…

 

“Thanks Chad…” Sans smiled weakly.

 

Chad turned towards the small skeleton and returned the smile. “You did a bad thing Sans, doesn’t make you a bad person.” Chad’s smile widened as he saw Sans’ frame relax and his smile widen to one of a more sincere look. “Now us jocks, we’re just plain assholes.” Chad joked earning an endearing chuckle from Sans.

 

“Heh, if you had said that at the beginning of the semester, I would have agreed with you. But now… not so much.” Sans admitted with a fond look. There was one jock in particular that he could never in a million years ever think to be an asshole. Papyrus was kind to a fault, caring, exceptionally loyal, and an all-around source of light for anyone who came in contact with him. Sans couldn’t believe that a jock would be the one to make his soul flutter just from a smile alone.

 

“Oh? You think that highly of our boy Papyrus?” Chad mused, watching the way Sans’ skull began to glow with a soft dusting of Blue. Chad couldn’t help but think it made the small nerdy skeleton that much more adorable.

 

“Well of course.” Sans stated matter-of-factly.

 

“Hmm… Just, be careful man. Don’t be putting people on such high pedestals without really getting to know them first…” Chad warned.

 

“We’ve known each other for a full semester now. I think that’s a good amount of time to get to know someone.” Sans responded. Sans prided himself in being a good judge of character, it was like he had a gift. Almost like he could see through someone down to their core. Not to mention Sans had been extremely guarded with Papyrus. It wasn’t until recently that they became official. Sans felt as though he had been conservative enough with his trust, and his judgement was fairly accurate about Papyrus.

 

Chad sighed as he rubbed the back of his head, his paw running roughly through his fur. The dog monster looked down at Sans, then back into the apartment at all the people, almost as if he was searching for something.

 

“What?” Sans insisted. He could tell Chad had something to say.

 

“It’s just…” Chad paused, looking down at Sans again. “I don’t know if it’s my place to say.”

 

“Chad, just spit it out.” Sans responded. He was acting much bolder with Chad than he normally would, but he just chalked it up to getting buzzed off the beer.

 

Chad looked back into the party before looking back at Sans. “Look it’s… I’m breaking a huge bro code here, so please take this seriously.”

 

Sans nodded, gesturing for the jock to go on.

 

Chad looked around one last time before lowering his voice. “Papyrus… isn’t as sweet and innocent as you think he is.”

 

“What?”

 

“It’s an act, all of it. Every jock has his own moves to get the ladies... or dudes, and Papyrus’ is the innocent sweet boy routine.”

 

Sans could feel his sockets narrowing into a glare.

 

“Sans! I’m being serious. I’ve seen it before. When you’re not around he uses it on others and he gets a lot of tail with it.” Chad insisted, his ears and tail lowering as Sans’ glare hardened. “Listen… I’m not saying this to cause drama between you and your man… I’m telling you this because… well, you’re the first monster outside of the football team that I think is cool. And… I don’t want you to get hurt man… just trying to look out for you.”

 

Sans could feel his magic churning inside him, his soul pulsing erratically. He wanted to yell at Chad, or punch him for even insinuating that Papyrus’ kindness was all an act to get laid. Hell Papyrus had been a virgin up until they became intimate for the first time. Was that supposed to have been all some elaborate hoax? What the hell was Chad even saying, what did he know! Sans felt his hands balling into fists, his magic sparking with fighting intent. Sans had to blink back the magic that was forming in his eye socket, reminding himself that going head to head with a football player wasn’t the best idea, even if it was to defend Papyrus’ honor.

 

“Excuse me, I need a moment.” Sans spoke between gritted teeth as he pushed past Chad and the waves of drunken party-goers to find a secluded spot in the apartment.

 

Where the hell was Papyrus? Sans wondered as he made it to Red’s old room, closing the door behind him to get much needed privacy from all the commotion. Both Sans’ head and soul were swimming. He felt wasted. He couldn’t tell if his emotions were causing him to be light headed, or if it was the copious amounts of weed smoke that was now a permanent fixture in the apartment.

 

Sans felt his bones shaking as his magic couldn’t decide whether it needed to react or not. Even though Sans knew Chad was lying, he couldn’t stop his words from swimming around his head. Sans closed his eyes and did his best to calm himself down. Stars, he’d never imagine reacting so strongly to someone just trying to spread gossip. What was wrong with him?

 

But then again… if Sans had been so wrong about Chad, who was to say he couldn’t be wrong about others… including Papyrus…

 

No!

 

Sans shook his head sternly, doing his best to rid his mind of any lingering doubt that Chad tried to implant. It was difficult when his body began to feel heavy, his bones burning, and his soul fluttering in fear. Fear of what though? Sans didn’t understand. Was he sick? Why did he suddenly feel so off…?

 

Where was Papyrus? 

 

___________________________________________

 

As Papyrus wondered the streets between dorms and apartments of the university, a faint, painful pinging surged and began to permeate through the skeleton’s soul. Papyrus rubbed at his sternum, unsure what the panicked feeling was. It was concerning, but… the lengthy skeleton did his best to ignore it as he neared his destination. He didn’t have time for jitters, he had to put on a convincing front for the rest of the seniors, and for that he needed to be focused. He just needed to do this one thing, and the rest of his years at MSU would be harassment free, not to mention worlds safer for Sans. Coming to a stop, Papyrus looked up and was greeted by the familiar sorority house he had ventured to many months ago.

 

Papyrus’ nerves relaxed when he caught sight of his friend, Undyne, amongst the group of girls chatting on the porch outside the house. Thank goodness! Having Undyne with him made the evening that much more bearable.

 

Undyne spotted Papyrus and quickly jogged up to her friend, wrapping him a crushing hug that would put most football players to shame. “Hey nerd! Been waiting for ya!”

 

“I DIDN’T KNOW YOU WOULD BE ATTENDING TONIGHTS FESTIVITIES, UNDYNE. HONESTLY I’M RELIEVED…” Papyrus chuckled and rubbed the back of his skull once his friend released him from their grip.

 

“Yeah well you know, where ever the ‘sisters’ go, I gotta go.” Undyne rolled her eye. She’d be happy when she didn’t have to pretend around all the fake girls. But that freedom wasn’t until graduation.

 

“There you are Papyrus, man of the hour.”

 

Papyrus knew that voice.

 

Both Papyrus and Undyne turned to see none other than Doggo himself emerge from inside the sorority house, half surrounded by sorority girls, and the other half his football entourage. Papyrus couldn’t help but stare in shock as his sockets immediately honed in on Doggo’s broken arm. His right arm was completely encased in a cast, hung close to his side as it sat supported by his sling.

 

Oh…

 

Everything suddenly clicked. Doggo had missed the big game thanks to his injury. Papyrus couldn’t help but feel slightly sorry for Doggo in that moment. It was obvious now his absence was not something he did willingly… To miss such a momentous moment over something like a broken arm, Papyrus could only imagine how devastated Doggo had been…

 

If Doggo saw the look of pity Papyrus was giving him, he didn’t show it. After his announcement, the dog monster stepped down from the porch and onto the pathway, casually making his way to Papyrus’ side. Papyrus couldn’t help but flinch ever so slightly when Doggo slapped his good arm around the freshman’s shoulder, putting in a little more force than necessary, but saying nothing nonetheless. The jock skeleton was quick to avert his gaze as to not openly stare at the cast.

 

“Oh come now, don’t be shy. We all know it’s there. The giant ugly elephant in the room…” Doggo commented, lifting his broken arm to Papyrus’ face. The dog monster smirked as he watched Papyrus shrink in on himself, clearly put out and uncomfortable.

 

“Let’s walk.” Doggo commanded, guiding Papyrus with him down the path. Undyne followed at Papyrus’ side, not threatened by Doggo and not wanting to leave her friend. The rest of the monsters on the other hand stayed at a good distance, giving Doggo and Papyrus all the privacy they needed as the group headed towards the party. 

 

Papyrus could feel a sheen of sweat begin to build on his skull. This was all very unwelcomed and uncomfortable. Chad had said Doggo had no hard feelings about the big game, but there was no mistaking the silent tension radiating off the senior quarterback.

 

Papyrus found himself hopelessly out of his element.

 

“So I take it Chad filled you in on everything when he invited you out tonight?” Doggo asked as the two meandered in the direction of the party.

 

“Yes he did…” Papyrus couldn’t bring himself to use his normal boisterous voice. He felt too on edge.

 

Doggo was quiet for a long while, his attention strained on the silent, empty campus. After a moment, the dog monster spoke up, halfway startling Papyrus with his sudden comment. “You were a good man, Papyrus. Our clutch when we needed you the most.”

 

“Oh, well… thank you?” Papyrus had only done what was asked of him. He was sure they would have still won the game had Doggo played. He was only able to pull off the winning touchdown thanks to the team who worked so hard and injured themselves to keep him safe.

 

“Monster of the year. Star quarterback. Hero of Monsterkind…” Doggo continued to ramble. He finished by mocking a crowd of cheering fans.

 

Papyrus couldn’t help but feel deeply unnerved. Still, he knew better than to say anything. Doggo didn’t seem… quite right at the moment.

 

“You know Papyrus, it had always been my dream to become monsterkind’s hero.” Doggo started with a far off look in his eyes. “From as long as I can remember I worked hard, trained myself, put the game first so I could become a monster worth remembering… I wanted to make a difference in the world, show those snooty humans that monsters weren’t second class citizens… Make my pack proud…” Doggo’s words softened almost towards a whisper at the end. The senior looked up at the night sky, squinting at the bright full moon.

 

Papyrus couldn’t stop the guilt from swelling in his soul. Honestly he had no desires to be an athletic hero. Sure he always wanted popularity and praise, but… not if it meant taking away someone else’s dream…

 

“It was in my grasp, Papyrus… I almost had it… and tHEN MY ARM-“ Doggo cut himself off with a growl, almost as if he was going to say something else, but forced himself to stay quiet. He quickly cleared his throat as he regained his composure.

 

Papyrus decided it was best not to say anything either. He just looked down and allowed Doggo to talk. The jock skeleton could see Undyne’s uncomfortable face out of the corner of his eye. At least he wasn’t the only one feeling awkward about the whole situation.

 

“You have a new responsibility, Papyrus. You’re going to become the teams lead quarterback next year. You won us our first championship. People are going to expect great things from you from now on…” Doggo slowly turned to stare hard at the tall skeleton. “you can’t disappoint us now…”

 

Papyrus felt a lump form in his throat. He could already feel the stress weigh on him. He wasn’t sure this was what he wanted, but if he wanted to keep going to school to study culinary, he needed to keep playing football. He didn’t have a choice. 

 

“There’s more to being the star quarterback than winning games. Papyrus, it’s now your job to lead the team. After tonight the team will look to you as an example of leadership and strength. You not only have to play the part on the field, but you have to play the part off the field.” Doggo suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned to look Papyrus in the face. They were just outside of the apartment building, soft snowflakes beginning to fall as the night became colder. In the distance they could hear the pounding of the party’s music.

 

Papyrus looked back at Doggo, waiting for the senior to impart his words of wisdom. This was all so much to take in. He supposed he was grateful for Doggo for teaching him, even if he could tell Doggo was still upset at him for stealing his dream…

 

“Listen, once I’m gone I don’t give a fuck how you show your leadership skills. Everyone leads differently. But if there is one thing, one rule every leader of the team should know, is don’t look like a fool. Don’t have someone undermine you. Don’t let someone use you. You have to assert your authority. You can’t let people manipulate you… even if you think you love them…”

 

Papyrus felt himself fumbling over his words. Wait… was Doggo referring to…

 

“I don’t… I don’t understand what you’re talking ab-“

 

“Cut the crap Papyrus. I’m telling you this from personal experience, those science nerds are trouble. And they aren’t worth you losing your reputation, your credibility, and your power over.”

 

Papyrus was completely taken back by Doggo’s sudden accusation. How could he possibly think Sans and the others were trouble? He had everything backwards. It was the athletes who were the ones who caused trouble in school. “Doggo I think you are mistaken. Sans and the others are good monsters. They’re my friends.”

 

Doggo tsk’d and glared up at Papyrus. He just didn’t understand. “You’re too innocent, freshman. Everyone in this school knows about those science nerds. They are a bunch of whores. And if you’re not careful, Sans is going to end up breaking your heart. They always do… They can never stay loyal. They just fuck each other and anyone that catches their interest. And if the team sees you weak and broken hearted, they’ll know you’re not up to the task to lead. Sans will ruin your image. He’ll ruin you…”

 

Papyrus was floundering at this point. He was torn between yelling at Doggo and defending his boyfriend, or straight up walking away and not even bothering with Doggo’s insane accusations. Papyrus’ mouth opened and closed as he fought to keep himself from letting lose unsavory and vulgar insults. He was still a skeleton with standards, and no matter how angry Doggo made him, he would not stoop to the mongrel’s level.

 

“Doggo… I employ you to watch yourself when speaking about my boyfriend.” Papyrus almost growled through clenched teeth.

 

Doggo watched Papyrus’ reaction closely before slowly shaking his head. “You just don’t get it… I’m trying to save you the pain I went through…”

 

Papyrus flinched and blinked in shock. What did Doggo mean just then? Save him the pain he’d went through? Papyrus couldn’t help but wonder what exactly happened between Doggo and the others… what was their history…?

 

“You’re just his flavor of the month, Papyrus... Whores like them come and go, but your team are your brothers for life… remember that.” Doggo finished and began making his way up the stairs to the apartment.

 

“What was that about…?” Undyne asked as she leaned in close to Papyrus’ side.

 

“I’m not sure…” Papyrus responded softly.

 

Undyne looked over at her friend with a frown. She then grabbed Papyrus’ hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Undyne was met with a grateful smile. The message didn’t need any words. Their friendship was clear enough. Undyne was there to support Papyrus through the night. She’d be there by his side while Doggo threw shots, ready to back her friend up when need be.

 

With Undyne at his side, Papyrus felt like he had a real friend in his corner. He knew the evening was going to be tough, but with Undyne’s help, he would be able to get through it. The two then made their way up to the party hand in hand, ready to take on Doggo and all the seniors.

 

___________________________________________

 

Blue hummed happily as he strolled into the university square, hand in hand with his boyfriend Rus. The evening was going to be amazing. This was a rare opportunity that Blue wasn’t going to miss. His only mission tonight was to get Rus and Fell to become friends. Determination burned in his soul, his magic charged in reaction to his emotions. Blue felt like he could take on the world right now!

 

Rus glanced over at Blue with a small chuckle. It was amusing to see his adorable boyfriend so fired up. It made the evening that much more bearable. That and he technically got to spend time with his friend Red. So it was looking out to be more favorable than dreadful.

 

Rus was still new to taking relationships seriously again, but he figured putting your own insecurities to the side in favor of your loved ones happiness was the right thing to do. 

 

As soon as Blue spotted Fell and Red standing near the square’s fountain, his smile brightened and the small skeleton tip toed up to wave happily at the pair. “FELL, RED, THERE YOU ARE!” His shouting easily heard over the distance and crowds.

 

Without waiting, Blue ran forward to greet his friend with a warm hug while Rus’ long, leisurely strides kept up with his boyfriend’s energetic pace. Rus tried not to react to Blue hugging Fell, keeping his emotions locked down as he greeted his own friend with a simple fist bump.

 

Fell simply patted Blue on the back, a small gesture mostly to signal Blue to let go of him. Red held back a cheeky grin, knowing how much Fell hated to be touched, especially in such an affectionate way. This was definitely going to be an interesting night. He’d never really seen Fell and Blue interact for an extended period of time outside of teacher duties, so this was going to be entertaining.

 

The group began walking down the long concrete pathway that connected the university center with the east side of the school. The path was surrounded by two large fields on each side. The fields were littered with tents, booths, and makeshift stands. Each one either selling food, crafts made by the art students, or showcasing a small game to play. It was like a mini fair.

 

“What is all this?” Red wondered out loud as he looked over all the booths. Every tent, regardless what they were selling, was draped in Christmas decorations. His sockets widened as he took in the glittering lights that wrapped around the light posts, a small reef placed at the top of every one. Lush and festive colored garland draped from every stand. Giant candy canes stuck out from the grassy field, lining the concrete path. And somewhere off in the distance was a giant inflatable Santa that could be seen all the way where they stood.

 

Blue looked over at the small student curiously. “This is the school’s Christmas festival,” he explained as he waved his arm over towards the booths. “The university puts on a two week party for the students who live on campus and can’t make it home for the holidays. Most stores close down, so this ensures students can still get groceries from local farmers markets, buy gifts, and just plain have fun so they don’t miss out on the holiday festivities!”

 

Blue watched as Red continued to look around, confused and entranced by all the decorations. “Uh… Red, you’re a sophomore, right? Didn’t you notice the school’s decorations last year?” Blue asked nervously. It’s not like this was a new thing. This was a tradition at MSU. For as long as he’d worked there the school always made a big deal about Christmas. It was hard to miss it.

 

Red blinked, bringing his attention back to Blue. “Uh well… I didn’t stay on campus last year during the holiday. Guess I never noticed…” Red laughed nervously through his lie, hoping he had satisfied Blue’s question and averted the professor’s interests.

 

Rus frowned slightly as he watched Red’s reaction. He remembered last year’s Christmas very well. Both he and Sans had gone home for the holiday, neither one thinking about their friend. At the time Red still hadn’t completely opened up to them, so they didn’t know Red was a foster child with no home. When the two returned to school, they discovered Red had stayed on campus the whole break, but never left his dorm. The two felt guilt hit them like a ton of bricks. Neither one liked to think that Red had spent Christmas all alone. Had they known they would have invited him home to either one of their families. 

 

It was a regret both Rus and Sans shared for never asking Red ahead of time. They knew it wasn’t technically anyone’s fault, they didn’t know Red didn’t have a family. But still… it hurt them to think of their friend having no one during the holidays.

 

Rus couldn’t help but wonder what Red was going to do for Christmas this year.

 

As they walked, Fell shot his pet a searching glare. He quickly caught onto the way Red laughed nervously, everting his eyes to anywhere but the group. Usually an easy tell for when he was lying. From the corner of his eye Fell then caught the slight shift in Rus’ frown. Interesting... It was easy to put two and two together. Rus knew something about Red’s Christmas last year, without a doubt. And to be perfectly honest, Fell didn’t like the fact that his pet had secrets only others knew... It felt too much like a secret bond only between Red and Rus. Fell’s sockets narrowed at the thought. He didn’t know why, but he suddenly felt threatened by this other student. Sure he was Blue’s boyfriend, but he didn’t know the guy himself. All he knew was from what Blue had told him. Red had for the most part been scarce when talking about his friends.

 

That was odd.

 

Fell decided right then and there, he didn’t trust Rus…

 

As the group made their way down the booths, the skeletons began to peruse the wares sold by the different arts programs at school. Everything from full blown furniture to small pottery was on display. A few electronics could be found here and there, items sold by actual vendors alongside student made crafts. The group made casual and light conversation as they strolled.

 

Blue was completely taken by all the sights and smells. He loved the school festivals, they were always so warm and welcoming. Nothing made him feel more at home than the holidays. It was quickly becoming the perfect evening. While Rus and Fell didn’t talk to one another further than polite pleasantries, it was still progress. Seeing everyone enjoy themselves made Blue’s soul soar. After seeing his plans come to fruition, at least in his eyes, Blue decided he could let his guard down and relax.

 

After a few minutes of silent window shopping, Blue suddenly beamed in excitement as he spotted a booth selling blankets and quilts. “Hey guys, look!”

 

Fell turned in the direction Blue was facing and noticed all the hand woven blankets and afghans. Fell wasn’t one to give praise lightly, but he had to admit some of the designs looked to be of high quality. The tall professor wondered over, examining some of the warmer blankets.

 

Blue smiled as he joined Fell in looking. “You could probably find a new softer blanket to keep in your office.” Blue suggested with a hint of teasing in his voice. Blue was well acquainted with the blanket in Fell’s office. Scratchy and uncomfortable, but still warm. It was mostly used by him back when they still used each other for sex. Fell had gotten the blanket mostly to shut Blue up about being left cold, naked, and thoroughly fucked without much to any after care.

 

Fell huffed in amusement, unable to resist a little playful jab at his friend. “What’s the need? Not like you’re sleeping on my couch anymore. You get your orgasms in your own office now.” Fell finished with a cocky smirk, entertained by how bright Blue’s skull began go glow and the unstoppable sputters of embarrassment Blue failed to hold back.

 

Rus’ sockets narrowed as his hands balled into fists inside his hoodie.

 

Blue was his own monster. He wasn’t some innocent doll that had never been touched, nor ever acted on healthy, normal sexual desires. Rus knew this. But… 

 

He still didn’t like seeing this kind of… he didn’t know what to call it, be flaunted in front of his face. Was it teasing? Flirting? Simple friendly banter?

 

Rus could feel himself become more agitated by the moment. Blue was blushing while shooting witty retorts back and forth with Fell so casually. It sure as hell seemed like flirting. The two professors seemed to be pretty engrossed in their own company, so Rus decided it was best for him to get some space to clear his head.

 

The tall skeleton looked to his side and notice Red was sporting and uncomfortable face as well, his skeletal hand gripping at his collar unconsciously.

 

So it seemed Red was just as conflicted as he was.

 

With a gentle nudge, Rus caught Red’s attention. “Hey, why don’t we let them hang for a while, and we can go do our own thing for a bit.”

 

Red looked over at Fell and Blue, then back to Rus. The small skeleton smiled gratefully and turned to walk with Rus. The two continued to stroll down the pathway, giving themselves a good bit of space between the other two.

 

Sure Red was excited for everyone to hang out again, but it had never occurred to Red that he’d essentially be hanging out Fell’s ex, with Fell... Of course Red hung out with professor Blue all the time at school, but it was always different there. Fell was never around. But right now, it felt a little more complicated than it did during school… It was a lot to process. Red felt a little embarrassed with himself for not being able to handle the situation better. He was Fell’s pet, not his boyfriend. He didn’t have the right to feel conflicted. Plus he had thought he was over his insecurities about Blue and his past with Fell. Luckily for Red, his self-loathing was eased with the knowledge that Rus was having a hard time with the evening too. In an odd way it made Red feel a little better…

 

The two continued down the path till they ended up at the end of the mini fair. From this distance they could see a stage being set up, accompanied by lights and a sound system. Red casually wondered what kind of music they were setting up for.

 

“Hey… I’ve been meaning to ask…” Rus broke through the comfortable silence, causing Red to look up at him. “How have you been?”

 

Red felt his skull warming ever so softly at the question. It was simple, a normal question anyone would ask, but Red knew Rus was honestly concerned for him. It made his soul feel lighter to have that familiar bond with his friends again. It felt like ages since he last felt so at east with the others, mostly due to the tension between him and Sans…

 

“I’m all right.” Red answered, not completely convinced himself, but not wanting to ruin the evening further with his problems.

 

Rus stayed quiet as he stared at Red with an unchanging expression. He knew Red was trying to hold back, probably trying to be considerate. Rus pondered for a second, thinking of a way to phrase his next question. “You remember last year when Sans got his heart broken?” Rus asked quietly.

 

Red frowned and nodded solemnly.

 

“He was so… broken.” Rus paused, shuffling around his pockets for a cigarette. He found his pack and pulled one out, lighting the cigarette and taking a long, slow puff through the silence that stretched between the two.

 

Red looked down at the ground, his own memories of last year playing through his head.

 

“It felt like… nothing we said, or did helped.” Rus recalled as he took another long drag, his eye lights on the ground, but his thoughts locked in the past. “He would lash out whenever we tried to get him off the bathroom floor, or his bed, or off the couch... He’d get angry at us for not leaving him alone, but he’d get sad if we left.”

 

“He was hurt… It’s understandable… feelings are complicated…” Red commented. It felt weird defending Sans considering recent events, but he still loved Sans as one of his best friends…

 

Rus smiled softly at Red’s response. “You know, I was actually pretty pissed with him about it, at first.” Rus admitted before taking another long drag, the smoke of his cigarette mixing with his breath that puffed in the cold winter air.

 

Red looked over at the taller skeleton curiously. That was odd… Rus had always been the calm reasonable one between the three. He never recalled noticing Rus getting angry with Sans, no matter how badly the other acted out during his heartbreak.

 

“At the time I felt like all relationships were scams. There was no such thing as love. It was just sex.” Rus sighed and paused for a moment, halfway reflecting on how far he’d come this semester. How cynical he used to be... “And when I found out Sans was having secret affair, with a professor no less, I thought there was no way it could end well. I was angry with Sans for thinking his fling could be anything more. Whenever he got snippy with us I wanted to yell ‘What did you expect, of course he just wanted you for sex.’” Rus paused, thinking back on his behavior. He regretted it. Stars did he regret it all. If he could go back in time and do it all over he would.

 

Rus was silent for a while before continuing softly, “I was angry at Sans for getting hurt. For not protecting himself…”

 

Red listened quietly as Rus opened up to him with all these hidden feelings he had about last year’s incident. It was hard not to feel the similarity between Sans incident and his… Or at the very least, he could see the similarities in how Rus reacted to Sans versus how Sans reacted to him…

 

Rus turned to Red with a weak smile. “But most importantly, I was angry because I felt powerless to help my friend…”

 

Red’s sockets slowly widened as Rus gave the smaller skeleton a knowing smile.

 

That was it… Sans was angry at him because he’s worried he can’t keep his friend safe…

 

Sans didn’t hate him, he was just worried.

 

Red chuckled weakly and rubbed at his sockets, feeling tears swelling, but refusing to let them drop. “So that’s it, huh? Sans is just worried about me…?” Red couldn’t help but smile. He had been so anxious the past few weeks. He knew Sans had to have a good reason for acting the way he did. He was scared Sans hated him, that he was disgusted in him… He feared there would be an unfixable rift between the two forever, but this… this was simple. Sans cared about him. He was worried for him. And he was frustrated because he felt helpless… Sure Sans had a shit way of showing his concern, but then again, they were all guilty of messing up from time to time. Red couldn’t stop the flow of soft laughter as he continued to rub at his sockets.

 

Stupid Sans… Red needed to thank him for caring so much…

 

Rus smiled seeing Red piece it all together. Suddenly… things felt all right with the world, like everything would be okay. And now, maybe the two could start working on making up with one another. Sure Rus had originally intended to wait for Sans to talk to Red and apologize himself, but per usual, his goof ball friends needed a little push in the right direction. Sans could still apologize, but at least now Red wasn’t left in the dark wondering if he’d done something wrong.

 

“Thanks Rus…” Red smiled sincerely as he stared up at the other skeleton, his sockets a little red and his skull slightly flushed.

 

Rus smiled and leaned down to give his friend a warm hug. “Anytime pal… Now, let’s get some shopping done of our own.”

 

____________________________________

 

Blue felt his cheeks warm from all the laughing he had been doing with Fell. It was nice to joke around with his friend again, he missed having Fell around outside of school. Blue’s soul felt so full being surrounded by both his boyfriend and his best friend. He couldn’t believe how well the evening had been going. Just as Blue recovered from his laughing fit, the small skeleton looked around to see where Rus was, freezing in his tracks as he saw no sign of his boyfriend nor Red anywhere.

 

“Fell? W-where’s Rus and Red?” Blue asked as his eye lights frantically scanned the area around them.

 

Fell’s laughing immediately stopped and the taller skeleton quickly looked around as well. “What the… Where the hell did they go?!” Fell couldn’t help but feel panicked. It wasn’t like Red to wonder off without telling him. His pet was far too well trained for that. As Fell continued to look around, his soul gripped with an uncomfortable emotion. Not only was Red missing, but so was Rus. He didn’t trust that student and now he had taken Red god knows where, with the two all alone!

 

“We were all laughing having a good time, why would they- Oh… Oh no…” Blue flinched suddenly realizing his own actions as he recalled the jokes he and Fell shared. Sure he had been playing around and laughing with Fell, but Fell was still his ex. Rus had a history of being cheated on and abandoned. His and Fell’s banter probably didn’t look too innocent from his boyfriend’s eyes…

 

He had messed up… big time…

 

Blue quickly turned to Fell with worried sockets. “Fell I think I may have upset Rus…”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“We were joking about us having sex. Fell, how do you think that would make Rus feel?” Blue felt a small whimper lock in his throat as he thought about Rus. Stars he must be so hurt...

 

Fell looked as though he was about ready to laugh, but as his mouth opened he suddenly froze, his eye lights darting off to the side. Oh… the talk must have also upset Red… Fell closed his mouth, his sharp teeth setting into a hard line as he thought about his pet. Putting it into perspective made it easier to understand Blue’s concerns for Rus.

 

So Rus may not have snuck off with Red on purpose, but rather he and Blue had pushed them away…

 

Blue sighed as he slowly wondered over to an open bench. The small skeleton sat down, his sockets brimming with tears. He had royally messed up with Rus… again! He ruined the night…

 

Fell let out a small huff watching his friend sulk on the bench. With a few easy strides Fell joined Blue, sitting quietly beside his college in case Blue felt the need to talk. Fell couldn’t help but feel partially responsible. He had never been in this kind of situation before, he didn’t know how to act.

 

“Why do I always mess up every relationship I’m in…?” Blue asked quietly as he covered his face with his small gloved hands.

 

Fell frowned looking over at his friend. He paused for a moment, his thoughts all over the place thanks to his own worry for Red. “You didn’t mess up your relationship with Rus. For heaven’s sake you haven’t even talked yet.”

 

Blue nodded slowly, but it was obvious he didn’t completely agree. “I just feel like I’m following my previous mistakes… step by step…”

 

Fell was quiet for a long while. The taller skeleton leaned forward, his chin resting on his hands as he stared out into the crowds of people still enjoying the festival. “You might be…” He acknowledged quietly.

 

Blue removed his hands from his face and looked up at Fell, his bones beginning to shake as tears started to stream down his cheeks.

 

“Every relationship you had before Rus you never really took seriously.” Fell recalled. “You never made them a priority. When it came down to it, you always chose me instead.”

 

“I did not-“

 

“Yes you did.” Fell interrupted. The taller professor looked over, giving Blue a stare that was enough to silence any further protests. “I never thought anything of it since you never seemed to truly like them anyway, but this… this time is different, Blue. I can tell that you care about Rus, so you need to stop putting me before him. Or you’ll lose him just like you did the others…”

 

“But it’s not like that this time…” Blue tried to explain. “I chose you over the others because I didn’t like them… but I like Rus… I love him! I just wanted my boyfriend and my best friend to be friends, so I could have both of them in my life…” Blue admitted shyly, looking down at the ground.

 

Fell hummed in acknowledgement. “Did you explain this to Rus?”

 

“I did!” Blue insisted.

 

“Did you really?” Fell stared hard, his eye lights piercing his friend knowingly.

 

“I… I mean… I think I did…” Blue fumbled. He could feel his frame deflating the harder he thought about it. Had he really expressed to Rus how much he loved him? And assured the other that he was over Fell and their relationship was purely friendly? He was sure he did. Right..?

 

…no… he didn’t…

 

Blue frowned. A sigh escaped him as his soul throbbed painfully with guilt. No… he hadn’t been completely open and honest with Rus. He had been as vague as possible when talking about his and Fell’s past. He was afraid of being judged. He was worried that if Rus knew the whole truth he would look at him differently. Not to mention it would ruin any chance of Rus agreeing to be friends with Fell. But Blue was being naïve… He wasn’t being considerate of Rus’ feelings or what his boyfriend wanted. He was being selfish, wanting the best of both worlds… not once considering how Rus would feel hanging out with his boyfriend’s ex…

 

“I’m an idiot…” Blue whispered.

 

“That’s what I’ve been saying all along.” Fell chuckled, earning an embarrassed glare from Blue.

 

The two sat quietly for a while, letting the sounds of the bustling crowds drown out their thoughts like white nose.

 

After a while, Fell looked over at Blue to see his friend wiping away any remanence of tear stains. It was clear Blue was worried about the repercussions of his actions, and if they would affect his relationship with Rus. It was strange to see his friend take a relationship so seriously. Fell could only imagine how much Blue must really care about this one…

 

“Listen Blue,” Fell began. “You and Rus will be okay. I’m sure of it.”

 

“How do you know?” Blue responded solemnly.

 

Fell was quiet for a while as he continued to stare at Blue. It wasn’t a harsh stare, but rather a sympathetic one. A rare sight to see, even for Blue. “You believe in fate, correct?” Fell suddenly asked.

 

Blue nodded.

 

“Fate to you is a lot like instincts to me…” Fell explained.

 

Blue perked up at this.

 

“My instincts told me to make Red my pet. I can say without a doubt I have not once regretted that decision. And it is my belief that your instincts, or fate if you will, sabotaged your previous relationships so that you would be single and ready for Rus when he entered your life…”

 

Blue’s sockets widened at Fell’s words. He had never thought of it that way. His past, all his failed relationships, even his failed relationship with Fell… maybe they were all meant to be. Maybe everything happened for a reason. Things between him and Fell didn’t work because they were meant to be with other people..?

 

Did that mean… Rus was the one?

 

Blue could feel his magic glowing on his skull at the thought alone. His soul sped up and he felt like he had butterflies in his non-existent stomach. Blue never thought that he would ever love someone enough to become… soulmates. Was Rus destined to be his mate…?

 

Fell huffed knowingly, seeing the way Blue’s skull lit up brighter than a Christmas tree. He gently placed a comforting hand on his colleges shoulder. Fell felt as though things between him and Blue were finally mended. There were no longer any unanswered questions. They were just friends, Blue understood that now. There was finally closure.

 

“Thanks Fell.” Blue smiled, his blush still glowing on his skull. “Hey… does that mean you believe you were fated to be with Red?” Blue asked, a little teasing in his voice.

 

Fell flinched and his sockets went wide, his skull giving away his emotions with a soft, crimson blush of his own.

 

“Aww how cute!” Blue smiled with a big, shit-eating grin, nudging Fell’s ribs playfully.

 

“Shut up! I don’t know what you’re talking about! Red is simply my pet!” Fell crossed his arms, quickly gaining back his stoic composure.

 

“Sure thing, Fell.” Blue giggled once more.

 

Blue’s giggles stopped when a flash of orange caught his eye. Both Fell and Blue looked up to see Rus and Red strolling over to them.

 

Blue was quick to hop to his feet, running up to Rus and tackling the student in a bone crushing hug. Blue could feel tears threatening to fall from his sockets once more as he buried his skull against Rus’ rib cage. He could smell Rus clearly through his well-loved hoodie. It smelled of honey, cigarettes, and home… He wanted to apologize, but he was worried he would start crying the second he opened his mouth. “Rus, I’m sorry-“ Blue quickly shut his mouth, his throat tightening with a sob he refused to let out. His voice was shaky though, it was obvious he was holding himself back.

 

“Shhh, it’s alright Blue…” Rus soothed as he wrapped his long arms around Blue’s trembling frame. He leaned down, almost as if he was shielding Blue from the world. He suspected Blue might over react to his and Red’s disappearance. But taking a walk was better than ruining the night with his sour mood.

 

“I didn’t mean to upset you…” Blue whimpered against the crook of Rus’ neck, his face muffled by Rus’ hoodie. He was just quiet enough to keep their conversation private, not wanting Fell or Red to hear.

 

Rus sighed with a weary smile. Of course Blue figured out why he was upset. His boyfriend was a psychology professor after all. Blue was getting better at reading emotions. “I’m not upset anymore. I just needed a little time to cool off.” Rus assured the other, his own voice a gentle and soft so no other could hear.

 

“Still…” Blue frowned, his hands gripping Rus’ hoodie tighter. He wanted to say more. Tell Rus how selfish he’d been. Let him know he didn’t have to force himself to be friends with Fell if he didn’t want to. Instead he opted to holding onto his boyfriend with all the strength he had. He willed his soul to show Rus how sorry he was.

 

Russ milled at the warmth of his boyfriend’s soul. Blue didn’t need to do that, he knew Blue was sorry. Rus returned the gesture, willing his soul to let Blue know there were no hard feelings as he gently nuzzled the small skeleton’s skull.

 

Fell watched the disgustingly sweet scene unfold. He could tell the two morons were meant for one another. They were both a mess. It was clear they each had their own demons… but he could tell their demons complimented each other.

 

And speaking of complimentary demons… Fell smiled as Red quietly walked over to him, sitting next to his side on the bench that was previously Blue’s spot.

 

“Have a nice walk?” Fell asked with a hint of scolding.

 

Red blushed and smiled nervously. “Sorry for wondering off. Rus and I had a much needed heart to heart…”

 

“Oh?” Fell tensed. He was trying to keep his emotions in check and not let his mind wonder what heart to heart meant.

 

“Yeah… Don’t know if you’ve noticed, hut uh… been having some miscommunication troubles with one of my friends... Sans…” Red admitted while gripping the sleeves of his jacket.

 

Fell’s frame immediately relaxed. “You have?” Fell knew there was something going on between Red and Sans. It was obvious from the tension between the two at the football game. But Fell didn’t feel right forcing Red to talk about it. He wanted Red to feel comfortable enough to come to him on his own time, if needed. So he feigned ignorance, letting Red handle his situation with his friends on his own.

 

“Yeah, but Rus really helped me understand some things between me and Sans, and well… I’m not so worried anymore. I know things will be okay…” Red looked up with a weary, yet hopeful smile.

 

“I see…” Fell couldn’t help but smile as well as he reached over and pet Red’s skull affectionately. “Good job, Red. I’m proud of you.” And he was. He was proud of his pet for working out the problem. Even if it wasn’t on his own, Red had the courage to seek help. And sometimes… seeking help is the more difficult thing to do.

 

Red’s skull began to glow with a soft blush and he leaned into his master’s touches. Having Fell’s praises made him feel even better about himself. Fell always had a way of making him more confident in himself. Just another reason his soul yearned for his professor…

 

Snow began to softly drift down from the sky. The tiny flakes landing on the ground and tents. It wasn’t heavy, just a light blanket of fresh white winter snow, but it was enough to bring everyone’s attention to just how cold it was getting as the evening wore on.

 

Red blinked in surprise as he felt the faintest of shivers from Fell’s hand.

 

Fell was cold.

 

Red looked down in thought. It only took him a moment to decide before he pulled out a bag from his jacket pocket.

 

Fell looked over, blinking in confusion as Red presented him a small, black, giftwrapped item. “What is this?” Fell asked, both shocked and confused as he accepted the gift.

 

“I know it’s not Christmas yet, but I think you should open it now.” Red smiled with a toothy grin.

 

Fell wanted to chastise his pet for buying him a Christmas gift. It wasn’t necessary. He was the master after all. Still, Fell knew his manors and opened the gift anyway. All objections and anger faded in an instant as the lengthy professor looked at his gift. Red had gotten him a deep crimson colored scarf. The ends were frayed to make the scarf look worn, and there were a few designer studs sewed into the scarf to give it a more edgy look. Fell’s teeth spread into a genuine smile as he lifted the scarf and wrapped it around his neck, admiring the way it felt and looked. His pet truly knew him well.

 

Fell looked over to Red, seeing the way his pet was watching him with anticipation. The look make him chuckle. Fell leaned down and kissed his pet gently, their teeth tapping together in a rare, tender kiss. “Thank you, Red. I love it.”

 

Both Rus and Blue looked over just in time to witness the scene between Fell and Red unfold. The two quietly shared a knowing smile with one another.

 

Seeing Fell and Red together reminded Rus that the past was in the past. Sure Fell and Blue had history, but it was clear to anyone who bothered to look that there was something strong between Fell and Red. Rus didn’t have to be friends with Fell, hell he didn’t even need to like the guy. But liking him or not, he was a part of his friend’s and Blue’s life. And for Blue’s and Red’s sake… he would at least be civil with the guy.

 

“Let’s all go look at the lights!” Blue offered. He wasn’t going to force Rus and Fell to get along anymore, and it was clear Fell wanted a quiet moment with Red. Blue was going to do his job as a good friend and set that up for Fell. It was a friend’s job to be a great wingman. Their night may not have started off the best, but it could still end on a high note. Blue owed them that much.

 

“That’s a good idea.” Rus smiled and walked over to Fell, leaving Blue blinking in confusion. “I call Professor Fell as my partner.”

 

“What?” Both Fell and Blue shouted in unison.

 

Red looked up at Rus confused, his eye lights silently asking Rus the question they were all thinking.

 

Rus simply gave a wink to Red before linking arms with Fell and pulling the taller professor up. Rus promptly ignored Fell’s demands for him to let go as the lengthy student began dragging Fell down the walk way littered with Christmas lights, leaving a very confused Blue and Red behind.

 

Once the two were a good ways away, Fell finally spat at Rus, “What the hell are you doing?”

 

“Heh, you sure are a fire cracker. You got that in common with Red.” Rus chuckled, seemingly unfazed by the venom in Fell’s voice.

 

The mention of Red had Fell reeling in his anger a bit. He wanted to punch the smug ass hole for acting so casual with him, but on the other hand… he figured Rus wanted to talk to him about Red and Blue. It was one of those inevitable conversations that Fell figured had to happen sooner or later… So he decided not to attack the student and begrudgingly let Rus guide them through the university Christmas lights.

 

After a long while with neither one talking, the silence finally edged away at Fell’s patience and he spoke up. “I assume you wish to ask me questions. Threaten me if I ever hurt your friend. Make sure I have no intentions of getting back together with Blue.” Fell didn’t ask so much as assumed. He knew the rigmarole. He was prepared to be grilled by the annoyingly calm student. He had wondered when Rus would snap. He could tell the other skeleton was faking pleasantries with him the whole night, his real emotions, while well hidden, were easy for Fell to see.

 

“Hmm… I suppose that’s what I’m supposed to say. But, I don’t think that’s necessary.” Rus held a calm, lazy smirk as he continued to walk with Fell, their arms linked. He could tell Fell was incredibly uncomfortable, but he didn’t want the professor to stop walking and give Blue and Red a chance to catch up with them.

 

Fell turned to Rus with a skeptical look.

 

“Listen Fell, I have no intention of losing Blue. I will do whatever it takes to make him happy. I’ll always protect his smile, so there’s never going to be a chance for you and him to get back together.” Rus stated matter-of-factly, causing Fell to glare at his cocky attitude. “And besides… something tells me you have someone you’d rather be with…” Rus turned with a knowing smile.

 

Fell’s sockets narrowed. The nerve of this ass hole! He didn’t like how perceptive this student was. He was smug, a hot headed know-it-all. And worst of all, he was right...

 

Seeing Fell’s expression was confirmation enough. With a small smile, Rus turned to look back out at the glittering lights as the snow continued to fall. “I’m not going to ask you a bunch of questions about yours and Red’s relationship. I’m not going threaten you not to hurt my friend. I’ve known Red for a while now… He used to be so alone… It took Sans and I a long time to get him to open up, but even then I could tell Red was still guarding himself. Meeting you… has done something to him. He’s more confident in himself. He’s more open. More present. Like he’s finally not just existing, but living…” Rus smiled fondly. “I just want Red to be happy… and I can see that he’s happy when he’s with you.” Rus finished softly.

 

Fell’s glare vanished.

 

Did Red really enjoy being around him that much? Did he really have that strong of an effect on his pet that even his friends took notice? He didn’t know what to think. He didn’t know what to say. Fell didn’t know why, but his soul suddenly felt full. It was a warm and pleasant feeling. Fell had never cared about any other pet as much as he cared about Red. It was odd… But he was happy.

 

This student, Rus, maybe… he wasn’t so bad after all… If he had the determination to stand up to him and proclaim his undying love to Blue, then maybe he hadn’t given this student enough credit…

 

“I plan to take good care of Red so long as he wants me…” Fell spoke softly.

 

“I know you will…” Rus responded in kind.

 

After a few quiet moments, Fell’s grip on Rus’ arm tightened ever so slightly in a warning grip. “You will take good care of Blue. Protect him. Watch over him.” Fell ordered.

 

“Of course…” Rus grip tightened as well, assuring Fell how serious he was.

 

After a while, the two stopped walking. They found themselves towards the end of the pathway. The open fields were littered with soft flickering lights, illuminating the dark and now empty tents. It had gotten late, and both students and faculty had called it an evening, heading home towards warmth and their loved ones.

 

“RUS! FELL!”

 

The two turned to see Blue and Red making their way towards them, finally able to catch up now that they were no longer walking.

 

“THERE YOU GUYS ARE! WHY DID YOU BOTH TAKE OFF LIKE THAT?” Blue pouted.

 

“Sorry about that, Blue. Fell and I just wanted to chat is all.” Rus glanced over at Fell with a knowing look, earning an amused huff and nod in return.

 

Blue and Red were left blinking in confusion at the odd glances the others were sharing. The two smaller skeletons shared their own bewildered look.

 

They felt as though they had missed something important.

 

___________________________________________

 

Heavy pounding from the party’s music vibrated the walls of Red’s old room. The continuous thuds beat away almost in rhythm with Sans’ pounding headache.

 

Sans held his skull with weak, jello-like arms as he did his best to focus. Something was wrong. He only drank one beer since arriving at the party and yet he felt like he was ready to pass out. His magic wasn’t responding properly. It took too much concentration to even focus his magic. His skull throbbed and everything was fuzzy. Not to mention his bones felt like they were on fire. His clothes, his shoes, even the wall he was leaning on, everything agitated his senses in an embarrassingly pleasant way.

 

Sans grit his teeth together in an effort to keep from panting and moaning. His soul was both aroused yet scared at the same time. It made absolutely no sense.

 

To hell with Papyrus’ passing of the torch. He needed his boyfriend, now. Sans shut his sockets tight, willing Papyrus to get here sooner. He just wanted to go home. He wanted to be in Papyrus’ arms and feel safe. He wanted to get out of here.

 

There was a knock at the door that Sans barely registered. Sans opened his mouth to tell who ever it was to go away, but his voice failed him.

 

What the hell? What was happening to him?

 

Without a response, the door opened and in walked Chad.

 

“Oh man, you’re still standing? I have to give you props. That stuff is strong. We recently found out it even knocks monsters out on their ass in minutes.” Chad laughed as he waved his hand and more football players came into the room. A red demon monster and a buff rabbit monster emerged, both sporting devious grins on their faces. 

 

What the hell was Chad talking- oh…

 

Oh no… The beer.

 

Chad drugged him.

 

Sans soul was beating erratically in terror at this point as all the dots connected. He tried to thrash at the jocks who picked him up, but his bones were limp and useless now. Sans’ breathing picked up, his chest rising and falling with his rapid gasps of air. He didn’t want this. He wanted to go home. Papyrus! Where was Papyrus?!

 

The mobs of drunk athletes paved the way as Sans was carried out to the front room. Jocks hooted and hollered, creating a half circle around Sans and the other jocks who carried him in. Sans could only whimper as he was placed on the floor, his body useless, unable to move as the jocks laid him sprawled out for all to see.

 

“Boy do we got a show for you guys!” Chad shouted almost as if announcing an event. The dog monster turned to the two jocks who were still holding onto Sans and gave them a nod of approval. On que, the two jocks began removing Sans’ sweater and tie. Their fingers making quick work of the buttons on his shirt next. “Let me tell you, I got a peek earlier, and man… it was good.”

 

Sans felt tears stream down his skull. He was wrong about Chad. He was wrong about everything. Sans panicked, screaming at them to stop, but all that came out was a whimper. He wanted them to stop. He needed to get away. Every touch was setting his soul on fire. His bones burned and tingled, his body reacting against his will. Sans thought of teleporting away, but even if he could focused his magic through the drug long enough to teleport, the demon and rabbit monster were still touching him, they’d just get teleported with him. Sans shut his eyes, willing himself to disappear, begging for Papyrus to come and rescue him.

 

Sans felt cold air hit his ribs as his shirt laid open. The drug forced his magic to react, he knew his soul was visible inside his rib cage. Everyone at the party was staring at him. They were staring at his soul. Sans suddenly felt more naked than even. Even more so than before when Chad caught him in the shower. He wanted to move, to cover himself up, but his arms still wouldn’t move.

 

“Come on Sansy, don’t be like that. Enjoy it.” Chad cooed. Every trace of kindness and understanding was replaced by devious lustful intent.

 

Sans gasped and shot his sockets open feeling a paw rub his pubic symphysis through his jeans. With the help of the drug, Sans’ magic reacted almost instantly. Blue magic quickly coalesced at his pelvis, forming a dripping pussy embarrassingly fast. Even though he was nowhere near aroused mentally, the drug was slicking up both his soul and his magic.

 

Chad whistled, admiring the glow. “Damn Sans, a little eager are we?” Chad teased as he unzipped Sans’ pants, pulling them down just enough to show off the glistening mound.

 

Immediately, jocks began palming the growing tents in their crotches. A few pulled out their cocks, stroking themselves to the sight of Sans’ bare bones, his magic enticing them with the much anticipated time to come.

 

Sans’ bones shook as he watched helplessly. The jocks were going to have their way with him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

 

Papyrus. Where was Papyrus?

 

“And Sans, I wouldn’t worry about Papyrus if I were you.” Chad spoke, almost as if reading Sans’ thoughts.

 

Sans flinched at Chad’s words. What did he mean? Did these assholes hurt Papyrus?! Where was he?!

 

Chad reached into his pocket and fished out his phone. After swiping a few times, Chad leaned in and tilted his phone towards Sans’ face.

 

Sans soul froze.

 

His tears stopped along with his trembling. All the marrow in Sans’ bones grew cold. It felt as though all the wind was knocked out of his non-existent lungs, and the world stopped. Sans could only lay helplessly still as he looked at the screen shoved in his face.

 

“I told you Sans, it’s all an act. Papyrus isn’t as good a guy as you think he is.” Chad reiterated, almost solemnly.

 

Sans laid still as he stared at the picture of Papyrus and what looked to be a female fish monster making out in a booth at Grilbz.

 

“This was taken at the homecoming after party. I know you and Papyrus weren’t officially a thing back then but… That kiss at the end of the game… it was pretty easy to tell you guys were at least something. And taking your silence… I’m guessing you never knew about this.” Chad finished with a frown. He looked almost sorry, almost as if he hoped he was wrong. 

 

Sans couldn’t move. He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t feel.

 

He couldn’t move his eye lights away from the picture on the screen.

 

Papyrus had… he…

 

Suddenly, the front door to the apartment swung open.

 

Sans looked up just in time to see Doggo step out of the way, revealing Papyrus… and the same female fish monster from the picture…

 

They were holding hands…

 

Papyrus’ smile vanished as he locked eyes with Sans.

 

His own soul froze in his chest. Sans was practically naked, sprawled out on the floor, his magic and soul summoned for all to see… Sans wasn’t struggling, wasn’t telling them to stop. Sans was just staring up at him, his eye lights still and dim, almost as if he was shocked to see him…

 

What was happening here?

 

This couldn’t be… please no…

 

Papyrus didn’t want to believe, no he couldn’t believe! Sans would never cheat on him! He would never! All the warnings Doggo had said during the walk over, everything began running through Papyrus’ mind. Papyrus couldn’t think. Nothing made sense. Everything hit Papyrus like a ton of bricks so fast, he didn’t know how to react.

 

Wait, Sans soul.

 

Frantically, Papyrus searched their partial soul bond, he looked through Sans’ soul to see what Sans was feeling. He looked for anything, anything that would prove this was all a misunderstanding. That Sans wasn’t just about to give himself to the whole football team. That he wasn’t about to hand over his wet, and aroused soul to some other monster.

 

Please… please… Papyrus begged as he checked their bond.

 

Shock.

 

Disbelief.

 

Betrayal…

 

Betrayal… as in cheating… Papyrus flinched. It felt like his soul had been shattered. His world was crumbling around him. Sans was cheating on him… there was no denying it… the soul didn’t lie… Proof was dripping onto Sans’ ribs right in front of him. One could not fake soul arousal. It was impossible. Sans’ emotions… his magic on display… there was no other explanation…

 

After a long drawn out moment of silence, Papyrus felt tears quickly begin to well up in his sockets.

 

No, he couldn’t cry. Not in front of all the other jocks. It was just what Doggo said! No! Not here, not now…

 

Almost as if sensing his distress, Undyne pulled Papyrus’ hand, urging him away. “Come on Papyrus…” Undyne whispered as she dragged her friend away from the others. Undyne didn’t need to know anything else. She saw enough…

 

As they quickly rounded the corner to a secluded hall, Papyrus broke down. Undyne caught Papyrus just in time as her friend fell to his knees and cried into her shoulder. Her soul ached for him. Undyne held Papyrus tight as she let her friend wail, feeling the anguish roll off his soul in waves. Undyne didn’t know what to do. She wanted to go back and pound Sans into oblivion, but she knew she couldn’t leave Papyrus, not now…

 

Papyrus continued to cry, his bones shaking with the force of his sobs. Undyne did her best to sooth her friend, mourning the loss of his shattered innocence.

 

Sans watched with dim eye lights as Papyrus took one look at him, and left… with that woman…

 

Sans soul flickered.

 

He left…

 

Papyrus left him…

 

In that moment Sans was sure he felt a crack split through his soul... The pains of anguish were too strong. He felt sick. He felt like he wanted to dust. He didn’t want to exist anymore. He felt both numb and the most excruciating pain of his life all in one. Sans felt tears drip down his face, but he didn’t even register that he was crying. He was sobbing, screaming in pain, but all his body could do thanks to the drug was whimper.

 

The jocks that were holding him let go as everyone in the room, especially Chad and Doggo, began to laugh hysterically.

 

He didn’t want to be here.

 

“Man, that’s what he gets for acting so high and mighty! Cheating slut just like the rest of us!” Chad laughed as Doggo leaned against him, his own laughter rocking him to his core. 

 

He didn’t want to exist.

 

Jocks began to fist pump each other, everyone praising one another.

 

Stop. The pain. Please stop.

 

“Bet he’ll go cry to Undyne, get her to suck face again.” Doggo commented as someone offered him a beer.

 

Please, just let him dust. He wants to dust.

 

“Now Sans, where were we…” Chad purred and stepped back over towards Sans’ limp body.

 

No no no no no nononono “NO!” Sans shouted, his magic igniting painfully to force through the drug.

 

With a bolt of blue magic, Sans was gone. Everyone at the party blinked in confusion.

 

_____________________________________________

 

A strike of powerful blue magical lightning tore through the silent winter night. Sans body suddenly appeared out of a ripple through time and space and dropped unceremoniously onto a bush, luckily soft enough to only take half his HP.

 

Sans groaned as he shifted weakly in the bush of thorns, its razor sharp pricks scratching up Sans’ bones with every move. The rest of his body that wasn’t in the bush was covered by snow.

 

He wouldn’t lie… part of him was hoping the drop would kill him…

 

After a few more failed attempts to get his limbs to work, Sans finally gave up with a heavy sigh, letting his head fall back onto the thorny bush. A quick glance around showed he had teleported outside the science building.

 

Maybe he could stay out here and freeze to death... His dust would blend in with the snow and he could disappear forever…

 

Sans felt tears continue to stream down his skull as he let his mind wonder over the evening and everything that happened.

 

Papyrus had abandoned him… he just left him… he…

 

“Sans?”

 

Sans’ sockets widened.

 

That voice...

 

Slowly, Sans raised his skull as much as the drug would allow him. His eye lights shrank to pin pricks and his bones trembled. His soul throbbed painfully, bombarded of memories of the past, emotions flooding back to him in an instant.

 

Of course it was him…

 

Doctor W.D. Gaster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (´;︵;`) our poor boys...

**Author's Note:**

> If you want you can fallow me through my tumblr. 
> 
> http://sinnyskelle.tumblr.com/


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